Where Men And Angels Fall
by Cloud Auditore Fair
Summary: Rosalie might be an Ice Queen, but Bella isn't afraid of the cold. A collection of oneshots for Rosalie and Bella ruffling each other's feathers, because who does it better?
1. Roses Will Be Roses

**A/N:** I've fallen victim to this pairing. I admit it. Yes, the story title is a shameless reference to Black Star. Felt fitting. So here's where oneshots, mini-stories, and collections of drabbles for these two will go. Just assume characterizations are basically more or less like in Wishing Upon A Black Star if you need a reference point. Anyway, a wonderful anon on Tumblr sent me a request.

"Bella knows/thinks she shouldn't love Rose and avoids her. While Rose is frustrated and doesn't care as she embarks on wooing the girl. I'm sorely missing their gayness."

I, too, was missing their gayness and a bit frustrated, so this was perfect. Went in the best direction I could think of without making this like 15k. I hope you guys and my anon, who I'm calling Frank in my head, enjoy it. Kind of angsty for a bit considering Bella avoiding her?

* * *

Rosalie Hale was a distinct woman, highly beautiful and equally intelligent. Her reputation preceded her. She was not just a vampire in Carlisle's coven. She was someone who had the audacity to blatantly disrespect Jane. She was someone who'd amused Aro so intensely with her cutting tongue that he forbade Jane from retaliating. He'd even asked her to spend time in Volterra.

He wasn't the only one who asked her to spend time in their company.

Still, Rosalie remained with Carlisle, who understood if she left. She was enough to be in a coven of prestige, of various, powerful gifts that were absolutely desired among the Volturi Guard. She didn't stay out of pride, out of forever making others envious. She stayed because regardless of what was said, Esme would not understand, not with her heart. The others wouldn't either.

That's what it was. Family.

Here, she got to exemplify the traits that made her equally wanted and frowned upon. Her simultaneous impatience and magnificent control. Her biting wit that didn't drive a wedge in her relationships, relationships that were cemented. The things in her life were guaranteed here. There was little to worry about.

And yet Rosalie Hale was incredibly distressed.

Her thoughts had been going in circles for entire days and she'd lately given up on pretense, so she'd been expecting a knock at her door. But she hadn't expected it to be Jasper.

He drifted over, a sense of serenity following him, but it was just him, not his gift. In his casual way, he sat next to her at the desk and folded his hands atop the smooth surface.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. As she started to apologize for her negative emotions, he spoke.

"What happened?"

He knew. The whole house knew. That was the problem with living with a psychic and a mind reader. Her dark eyes studied the wall in front of her.

It'd been her birthday weekend, the appearance of Bella making it a thrilling event to her. Not that she'd admit it out loud. But it'd gone well, even for Emmett breaking a table with his antics. After a while, Esme had been wonderful, essentially shooing everyone out the house without Bella noticing until it was too late. Her surprise at Bella getting her a gift had been genuine. And the gesture meant much more as Bella got increasingly awkward and flustered while actually trying to _give_ the gift. It took two whole minutes of stuttering for Rosalie to just take it from the poor girl's hands and end her suffering.

She'd stuck the bow on Bella's shoulder and winked, asking if she was the real gift, before opening it. Rosalie Hale could have basically anything in the world she wanted, but the item in that box made her almost think her heart was beating. It was a small, wooden box—her guess was for giving the gift a sense of weight—that held a note simply saying, _Pick one._ Under it was a few pictures of Bella's truck, edited so it was actually painted a color, like Rosalie had been bitching about for months.

And then Bella started avoiding her. She'd grown surprisingly, frustratingly, adept at it in the past few weeks. Rosalie let her.

"I don't know," she said honestly. A long sigh left her as she sank deeper into her chair.

Jasper offered a slight nod. Eventually, he pulled his hands down to his lap. "Alice has had visions of Bella as a gold-eyed vampire."

She whipped her head toward him so intensely a human might've broken their neck. "What."

"You're apparently rather happy in them. As is Bella."

She was going to kill Alice. Or at least throw her off a mountain. Something.

"I know you were originally against all things that could lead to her being a vampire, but she is _your_ mate and we all know your stance on that topic has…weakened. Completely changed, even." Jasper shifted, drawing her eyes with the motion so that he could hold her gaze. "Who are you?"

She quirked her eyebrow.

"Who are you?"

"Rosalie Hale."

He smiled, an Alice-like mischief entering his eyes. "So then be yourself. Your _whole_ self."

She opened her mouth to object, to point out the flaws in his logic, to say she'd been herself this whole time, but then she caught on. Only Edward and Emmett were in the house. She'd hardly noticed anything lately as she just came home from that god-awful school and sat in her room. Jasper had been biding his time until Alice and Esme were away and he could talk to her without someone hovering. Alice, who'd frowned and said the future was complicated and Rosalie should just give her space and then talk to her. Esme, who'd said she'd figure out what to do.

Her smile matched Jasper's as she shot to her feet and knocked down her chair in the process.

"Hurry up before Alice gets back to fuss at all of us."

She squeezed his shoulder, smirking. "Thank you for your sacrifice."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be just fine."

Rosalie ignored the way his smile shifted and his gaze became distant. She had something to do.

It'd taken her half an hour, and Esme would probably scold her for her methods, but she didn't care.

She blurred down the stairs of the Swan home, coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the kitchen.

Bella, surprised, squeaked and almost tumbled backwards with her chair, but she managed to brace herself against the wall. She straightened and swallowed like it could calm her heart.

They stared in the same way, and it only fueled Rosalie's determination. Silent ache that made you try to take in every detail before something slipped away from you again. Startled appreciation for what made your world spin. Casual serenity. The need to be closer.

Rosalie stepped to the table, dropping the small, black gift bag onto it.

The action stirred Bella. She looked at the bag in an almost longing way. Then she swallowed again and avoided Rosalie's eyes. "Uhm, listen—"

"I miss you." The quiet nature of her tone surprised even herself, but she didn't let it show on her face.

Although, she was now the one resisting eye contact.

"Rosalie."

Bella didn't continue, but she did sound pained.

A full minute of silence passed before Rosalie flashed her a confident smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

It was the last thing in the world she wanted, but Rosalie left as Bella blinked. She paused in the girl's room, inhaling deeply both to steady herself and to breathe in the scent of her mate.

"I miss you too."

The soft whisper almost made Rosalie turn around. Bella had no reason to believe she was still there. But she remained in control of herself and left Bella alone with her favorite chocolates. The girl really had a thing for caramel.

* * *

Friday passed in a bit of what Bella would call pure stress. She'd expected Rosalie to come out of nowhere and corner her and demand answers. The vampire didn't strike her as one to be ignored, so it seemed a little overdue and she'd reasoned yesterday to be a gracious warning. But she'd kind of hoped their friendship would be enough for Rosalie to respect her blatant evasion of her.

Except friends hunted you down if you tried to stay the hell away from them, so really, what had she been doing and hoping for?

She'd thought she'd relax with each passing period but the opposite happened. Alice actually avoided her and once Bella realized it, she wasn't sure she wanted answers. Besides, she'd been avoiding the vampire's sister, so it wasn't her place to ask anything. Mike, the king of being oblivious, asked her what was wrong at lunch and set off a horrible half hour of dodging everyone's questions. In Biology, she kept eyeing Edward for some sign of…anything. But Edward was perfectly Edward. Instead of appreciating the development of their friendship and the fact she didn't feel the need to crawl out the window to get away from him anymore, she felt a small urge to hit him. Before class was over, she'd agreed to watching some movie with him next week.

A sense of freedom filled Bella as she left her locker. The relief was evident as her shoulders gave a twinge of pain as she finally relaxed them and focused on her measured steps. Other students bustled past her and she thought about what she'd cook for dinner.

Her thoughts vanished once she saw a small group in front of her truck. "What's going on?"

Lauren and Mike whipped around to look at her while the others glanced between her and the truck. Angela studied her with a quiet gaze and Jessica said something, but Bella didn't hear her. She was too busy pushing past them all.

There had to be at least three dozen roses in the cab and a few single ones were stuck under her windshield wipers.

Mike's voice drowned in the sound of her heart beating in her ears.

Someone slapped her.

Bella blinked into the face of Lauren.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded dumbly at Angela's question and mumbled her thanks at Lauren.

"Doesn't your admirer know Valentine's Day was last week?"

She raised an eyebrow at Mike, realizing it was the second time he'd asked that.

"So, like, no one knows who did this." Lauren crossed her arms and Bella absently placed her irritation as jealousy.

"Any ideas?"

Still reeling, Bella's eyes betrayed her.

Everyone followed her gaze to the Cullens' empty parking spaces.

"Oh my _god_ ," Jessica practically squealed.

Lauren's nose crinkled. "What? They all know she's gay and it's not like Edward would ask her out anyway."

"Oh! God, you're right!" Angela's eyes widened as she slapped at Jessica's arm and they shared an excited smile.

Mike, Tyler, Ben, and a dozen others who were just insanely curious stared at them.

"What?" Lauren pressed.

Bella threw her backpack into her truck and grabbed the roses from under her windshield.

Jessica and Angela blurted, "Nothing!"

As Bella started her truck, she heard Lauren shout her name, but she couldn't care less. She drove away trying to tell herself her cheek burned from the slap, but that didn't explain away the burning in her other cheek.

When she got home, she fussed with all the roses, cursing the living one she knew, and wondered what on Earth she was supposed to do with all of them. This had to double as a way to annoy her. Because damn, were they all annoying to deal with.

Hours later, she was just beginning to get over what'd happened.

And then Charlie came up the stairs, proceeding to do his casual knock on her slightly ajar door. "Hey, Bells, why does it smell like a florist in—" He froze, blinking at all the roses on the bed next to her.

She looked up from where she'd buried her face in her arms as a severe blush overtook her face for the second time that day. She made a choked sound.

His jaw clicked shut.

She stared at him.

Charlie cleared his throat. "So."

She sat up, tucking her legs under herself.

He idly twisted the doorknob. "Does this mean you're going to stop moping around?"

"I haven't been moping." When he came over and lifted a dozen of the roses and sniffed them, giving her a look, she grimaced. "Okay. I've been moping."

"I wouldn't say you look happy, though."

Her eyes drifted slowly instead of simply darting away and, in the back of her mind, she mocked herself because it was a habit she'd picked up from Rosalie.

"But you like her a lot."

That brought her eyes back to his. "How—"

Charlie bopped her on the head with the flowers. "Because you have these, you dummy. _All_ of these. Tell me you didn't reject her."

"I…" Rosalie hadn't asked her anything, but Bella had all but shunned her. And clearly the vampire had some kind of interest in her. She grimaced again.

" _Isabella._ "

Her back straightened at his tone. She blinked at him. It was weird, feeling chastised by him, but that's definitely what it was. "No one asked anyone anything."

Charlie dragged a hand across his face.

"Hey! What's that look for?"

He shook the flowers at her, countering the stern look on his face. "That girl will come knocking. And I'll let her in. She'll be pissed and drag you on a date by the ear, I'm sure."

"What are you—Hey!" She scowled, rubbing the part of her head he'd hit with the flowers again.

"I've _seen_ you look at her."

The blush burned in her face anew. "I, she, you, I don't," she sputtered.

"Rosalie is going to be a _very_ demanding woman, I can tell. You better get your shit together. Close your mouth, you'll let bugs in."

This time, Bella's jaw clicked shut.

"That girl comes alive just to smile at you. Why are you being like this?"

She sighed, poking at some of the flowers on her bed. "It's complicated."

"Well. Fix it." Charlie nodded. He stopped in the middle of putting the bundle in his hand down and rubbed the back of his neck. Then as he was leaving, he muttered, "I like roses. You have enough of them."

* * *

She watched Bella scowl down at her menu, hand slightly pulling her hair. Then she slid into the space across the booth with a smile.

Bella stared at her, something between panic and relief on her face, all while her heart thrummed its personal hello.

Rosalie propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her interlocked fingers. "I believe you're looking for a greeting. Or perhaps a compliment, or a thank you. Maybe even an apology."

Bella's jaw worked without sound before she shook her head, eyes not returning to Rosalie's. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"Mm, you really must be off. Alice said you'd come here because Charlie didn't want you to go to the Reservation with him."

She shifted. "Well, I'm not liking the choices right now so I was actually about to leave."

Rosalie arched an eyebrow and her gaze slid toward the window, prompting Bella to look.

From inside Bella's truck, Alice gave a happy wave and started it.

"Son of a bitch," Bella muttered as she watched her truck leave the parking lot.

Rosalie offered a pleasant smile. "Is there somewhere else you'd like to go?"

Instead of answering, Bella sighed. "Nice joke yesterday."

The waitress arrived and Rosalie waved off the extra menu while Bella ordered.

She watched Bella start shredding a napkin. "I'm glad you appreciated the humor, but I hope you also noticed the seriousness. Why'd you only ask for a milkshake?"

"Not hungry."

"Have you eaten today?"

"No."

A frown pulled at Rosalie's brow, her goals temporarily forgotten. "Isabella, are you feeling alright?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I do."

"That's too damn bad, you can't have everything you want."

Rosalie sat back.

Bella winced. "Sorry. I'm sorry, I…I'm just sorry."

As she pushed herself to her feet, obviously desperate to be anywhere else, Rosalie held out her own keys. She stared at the space her mate used to be as the sound of her car starting reached her ears.

The waitress returned, confused, and Rosalie paid for the milkshake. She pushed it to what had been Bella's side of the booth and just watched it slowly separate. She knew Bella was upset, as they could all see it in her shifted behavior lately.

But that knowledge did little to numb the twinge of hurt from Bella snapping at her. She was missing something and it bothered her now more than ever.

* * *

On Monday, Rosalie showed up to Bella's doorstep with a smirk and another dozen roses. She rang the doorbell and dismissed the possibility of her going a little overboard on the rose joke. Her mate liked bad puns anyway.

Bella's expression turned into a weird mix of defeated and pained as she opened the door. A drastic contrast to her excited heart.

Undeterred, Rosalie shoved the flowers into her grip and more or less barged into the house by giving Bella the choice of stepping back or being walked into. "I was thinking I could take you to dinner."

A sigh tore out of Bella as she went to the kitchen table and deposited the flowers there. "Rosalie."

"Bella."

She closed her eyes and mildly fisted her hand in her hair. "Please stop."

The whispered plea compelled Rosalie to move closer to her, stopping just short of reaching for her. "No."

"Please."

When brown eyes opened she saw the beginning of tears in them and her dead heart twisted. It made her hesitate. "You won't tell me what's wrong."

Bella leaned back against the table, bracing her hands on it while her gaze focused on nothing. "I can't do this."

Something cold and thick clawed its way up her throat, freezing her in place. Rosalie's previous decision didn't matter. Maybe it never did. Maybe she never expected a negative choice. Either way, she realized it'd never been something she could cope with. "Can't do what?" Evidently, the rough nature of her usually smooth voice drew Bella's eyes.

Bella swallowed. She dragged a hand through her hair. "Look at you. Look at me. I just, I'm…"

"Wonderful," Rosalie finished for her. "Annoying. Exciting. Clever."

Her jaw tensed, and again. And again. She rubbed her eyes and wiped the wetness on her jeans as she looked at anything but Rosalie. "I can't be some plaything and then spend the rest of my life holding everyone to the impossible standard of you."

That startling sense of fear loosened its hold on Rosalie and she swallowed heavily. But she was too busy recovering to say anything, too stunned to say anything.

Bella crossed her arms tightly and her shoulders moved in a jerky shrug. "I _adore_ you. More than I thought I was capable of. I—"

"I love you," Rosalie said honestly, passionately. Maybe more than anything else she'd ever said in her entire life.

In that moment, she was certain she would've heard Bella's heart even if she was still human.

Then Bella's face twisted and her voice came out as a whisper. "Don't _say_ that. Even if we do whatever this is and even if you guys decide to tag me into the vampire team? I can't do this and then when you bump into your mate—"

Rosalie didn't process anything else she said because suddenly everything made sense. She wanted to slap herself. She wanted to slap Alice, to slap Bella. She wanted to slap anyone and everyone. Hell, she wanted to slap the Earth itself and change its rotation. "You idiot."

The humor in her voice made Bella wipe at her eyes a little violently. "Oh, gee, thanks, Rosalie. I appreciate your concern over my feelings."

"Isabella, I've already met my mate."

All the anger and sadness whooshed out of Bella in something between a scoff and a huff and she suddenly looked more exasperated than anything else. She even uncrossed her arms to somewhat throw them up in the small space between them. "Then what the hell are you fucking around with me for?"

A small smile pulled at Rosalie's lips. She raised her eyebrows.

Shocked did not begin to describe how Rosalie felt when Bella slapped her face.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I, you. Do you even _know—_ " She cut herself off with an aggravated noise that dissolved into a wild laugh.

"You slapped me."

Bella glanced at her reddening palm. "A little harder than I should've, yeah." Then she met gold eyes. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want you to feel as if you didn't have a choice. And," Rosalie's eyes drifted and her voice dropped, "I wanted you to choose me."

"How could I not choose you? Do you know who you are?"

Rosalie couldn't restrain herself any longer. She pulled Bella to her and wrapped her arms around her mate. A slow sigh left her as Bella's grip on her tightened. "Someone who belongs right here."

"That was good," Bella said into her shoulder, "But I'm still pissed at you."

"Oh?" Rosalie pulled away enough to glare down at her. "You think I'm not pissed at you for just avoiding me? Me, of all people. How _dare_ you?"

"Whatever. I'm sick of your bitch ass. Feed me." She left the embrace entirely, but she also laced their fingers together before walking toward the door.

* * *

Leaving the diner, Rosalie looked at Bella when she suddenly apologized. "What for?"

Bella grimaced and gave Rosalie's hand a light squeeze. "For snapping at you on Saturday."

"I understand. It's alright."

Rosalie expected a verbal response, of course. Maybe a small, physical one as well. She did not remotely expect a warm hand to come to her shoulder and support Bella as she kissed her cheek. Her wide smile made Bella's blush deepen.

It was weird, to be doing this and feeling this way. Driving to a human's house while she held their hand and they idly talked. Rosalie Hale could have basically anything in the world she wanted, but there wasn't anything else she could think of that she wanted more than this.

She pulled into the Swans' driveway with something dangerously close to a pout on her face.

Bella noticed. "Wanna come chill in my room with me? Charlie won't mind."

"I suppose," Rosalie said casually. "I should be able to postpone my plans by an hour with minimal effect."

Brown eyes rolled as she got out of the car.

They passed Charlie, who grinned at the sight of them. He asked about their days and how Esme and Carlisle were doing. He also asked about homework and though Bella gave a smooth answer, it almost made Rosalie raise an eyebrow. Almost.

Bella whipped around upon entering her own room and glared at Rosalie's innocent expression. She snatched a dozen roses off her bed, staring at the other 48. "When did you even do this?"

Rosalie smiled.

In what was realistically an odd gesture, Bella shook them at the vampire. "Stop giving me these!"

She sat against Bella's headboard and pulled some roses into her lap, toying with the petals. "I'm the gift that keeps on giving."

Bella groaned at the pun. She shifted some of the flowers to her dresser so that she could throw herself down on the bed. "Well I'm sick of it."

"You're sick of me?"

She rolled onto her stomach and pulled free one rose's petals before throwing them all over Rosalie. "You're the only Rose I care about."

Rosalie flashed her a dazzling smile, enjoying the increase in her heartbeat. Then, in a swift motion, she removed every petal from the dozen flowers in her lap and threw them into Bella's face.

"Hey!" Bella popped off the bed, spitting a stray petal out of her mouth, and threw two dozen, intact roses at the vampire.

A couple minutes later, after much yelling and the sound of a book flying, Charlie opened Bella's door to see a wild flurry of rose petals and many more littering the room. In the sudden silence, Rosalie and Bella stared at him and he decided to just close the door and walk away.

The ruckus immediately continued.

* * *

 **A/N:** I could've also titled this, "In Which Rosalie Buys Every Damn Rose In Forks." But damn, that got really gay at the end. Like, hella gay.

Rosalie stays theatrical, I don't care what the fuck she says lol Bitch, that was too many damn roses.

Okay, okay. Taking my ass to finish chapter 20 of Black Star and work on 21. See you guys later!


	2. Warmth Among Snow

**A/N:** Don't worry, Black Star update is due soon.

So every now and again I challenge myself with 1st person and it's been, like, years, so I gave it a go. Kinda like it? Maybe half of it. Don't worry, I'm not doing this again for _a while_. Anyway, I wanted this stuff to happen and had no story concept it'd fit in, so I just wrote this for someone-undefined. I remember shit about the Denalis so I just rolled with the wiki and some headcanons I have.

* * *

"No."

I straightened and tried to pop my back out of a habit I probably wouldn't lose any time soon, if ever. The small sigh left me slowly and even though it wasn't necessary, I dusted off my hands. Maybe I was buying time.

Most likely.

My still-red eyes lingered on the mass of rounded snow at my feet before they travelled.

The other vampires had been on task for perhaps thirty minutes, an hour if you counted the bickering as they divided onto teams. Though, it remained a total mystery why that even happened. Sure, I'd still been inside at that point trying to convince Rosalie this was, in fact, a good idea, a fun one even, but I mean. Snowmen. How do you need teams for that? And _how_ did Alice summon a competitive Esme like a bitter, lifelong rival so quickly?

So all in all, I got to see Alice pack snow on Emmett in the flexing pose he'd chosen and climb him like a tree as she studied her progress. I didn't think he could stay still enough for it, but whenever he got the itch to move or forgot his purpose, she shoved snow into his mouth or ears. Carlisle's pose was, well, Carlisle. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and stared off in the way a thoughtful leader did. He'd make for a plain, ugly snowman, but would probably be completed first, which was the point of this fun, family exercise that'd gone off the rails and straight into a cold, white hell.

Just as Esme placed a soft kiss on her husband's cheek, a ball of snow slammed into my eye. I caught the rock that'd been at its center before it could fall.

Honestly, Esme's long-suffering sighs made more and more sense with each passing day I was a vampire. She was surrounded by eternal, destructive _children_.

Dropping the rock, I looked up and saw Jasper and Edward frozen, staring at me. My eyes rolled. I'd seen how quickly making a snowman out of Edward turned into a fight and wanted absolutely no part in it.

Snowballs of death started flying around again.

Meanwhile, I could feel a familiar glare trying to shatter my skull or something.

Acutely aware I'd be eating snow if I didn't turn around now as opposed to soon, I steeled myself. I could just look at her perfect eyebrows—No, that was a trap that lead to her eyes. Maybe her shoulder? And then…Nope.

As usual, my eyes wandered everywhere, lingered everywhere. I'd spent entire days staring at her since changing and even now I still did this, like I could make up for all the time my stupid, human eyes couldn't take in the full beauty of Rosalie Lillian Hale. And of course, she'd changed clothes before coming outside to throw me off. Of course.

The bitch.

To think, I used to scoff at knee-high boots. Now I couldn't live without seeing them on this blonde goddess, especially paired with dark wash jeans, like now. Blue shirt, black jacket. Arms crossed over her chest and hip canted out. Okay. I was ready to focus on her scowl again. Then I got stuck.

I could practically hear her laughing at my distracted state, but it just wasn't fair for someone to look so goddamned cute in a beanie.

By the time I looked her in the face again her scowl had vanished. In its place, her bottom lip pushed out in the smallest pout. If I wasn't weak before that, then I fucking _died_.

Rosalie's face erupted into a grin. She surged forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me off.

We ran in casual silence. I thought about asking if she was going to sacrifice me or something like I did the first time she took me somewhere new, but then I found myself thinking about how far we'd come. About how I stumbled onto the right path to making it so that the stoic, eternally seething vampire relaxed enough to smile widely and often at even Edward. A thought that'd been biting at my mind for months popped up yet again. What if I never left Phoenix?

I crashed through a tree and my momentum carried me into a second, larger one. A heap of snow fell down on me and I brushed it all off with jerky movements as I cursed. The impact had pulled its roots enough that I stared up at the cloudy sky through its branches at an angle. Never in my life did I think I'd be stuck in a big ass tree with my torso sticking out of it in the middle of nowhere, but here I was. Arms dangling down and scowling. Boy, was I terrifying.

And, right on time, not a hair out of place, as if she hadn't been running at inhuman speeds, Rosalie Hale rounded the tree with a raised eyebrow as she put on her beanie again. She picked some wood out of my hair before allowing herself a small, judgmental hum.

I knew that look and it made me narrow my eyes at her. "Say it."

Her gold eyes met mine with a false innocence. "I'm sorry?"

I huffed, looking back to the sky like it was better company.

"I'm just…impressed, I suppose you could say."

"Whatever." In a kind of pathetic way, I wiggled around a little. "You just going to stand there?"

"The same as when I watched you run into this situation with the grace of a rhino, yes."

"You're such a sadist," I muttered.

Rosalie stepped forward and kissed my cheek, a tender smile on her face that made me feel like I was having a heart attack when I was still human. "Only when it comes to you."

If she didn't make it impossible to be mad at her for more than two seconds, that'd be great. "Why do you just watch me do things like this? Even before, you literally dropped me on the ground and left me with bruises and you'd watch me walk into doorframes."

"And tables, and cars, and chairs. As I told everyone, you aren't a child."

My head rolled to look at her. My evident lack of amusement only widened her smile. "Emmett told me about when he was stuck ass-deep in a mountain and you had to help him out of it."

Rosalie shrugged a shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Fine. You're my personal klutz—"

"I'm not a klutz!" My protest shook the whole tree.

"—And I enjoy the annoyance on your face." She crossed her arms, thinking. "Or indifference, more often than not."

"I'm not here for your sick little games."

Rosalie's laugh filled the air, loud and easy.

My scowl returned. "You helping or not?"

A perfect eyebrow arched. "You don't need help."

I wiggled again. "Didn't you want to show me something?"

Fake disgust curled her lip, but it did nothing to detract from her beauty, of course. "I _suppose_. If I didn't, I'd just leave you here."

"I'd stay here, too! Fuck you, I'll show you." I'd trailed off in a mumble as I reached up and scratched some letters into the tree. When I finished, I crossed my arms, refusing to look at her.

 _Swan Home._

 _No blondes._

Rosalie growled and left.

After a few hours of wondering which of us was more stubborn and if I'd spent the next week of my life living in a tree, the sound of five sets of footsteps reached my ears. One of them skipped ahead of the others.

"Hey, Alice," I said just as she came up beside me.

She eyed me, sticking out of a tree, glaring at the sky, arms crossed, and text carved into the wood above me that might've gotten someone else decapitated. Then she giggled.

Esme arrived next, camera at the ready. Alice got into position next to me with a thumbs up and a grin, no doubt.

I looked down at Alice when she patted my shoulder. In my peripherals I could see Esme smiling at the picture she'd taken with a happiness in her eyes that didn't exist before Rosalie said yes to me.

"You're still as surprising and fun as the day I met you, Bells." She mirrored my smile before spinning out of Esme's way.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright, dear, but I can see you're, uhm, at home." Her eyes crinkled at her joke.

"I am now that you're here, Mom." That did it, even though it wasn't the first time I'd said it. Esme's smile practically exploded and she hurried forward to hug me like it wasn't a weird position.

"Perhaps we should leave."

My eyes dragged over to the Denali sisters. I waved awkwardly. This wasn't how I intended on meeting them again after changing.

"Yes. Perhaps so," Kate said to Tanya with a grin partially hidden behind her hand.

Alice giggled, but I almost kicked myself for the text above me that essentially exiled Kate and Tanya. I crossed out the "Blondes" part and scratched in "Roses" instead.

"Why'd you decide against 'bitches?'"

Esme sighed a little. I think that officially made me her kid.

"Because, ol' Alice Balice." I relaxed, letting my arms dangle again as I stared up at the sky. "You know I love bitches."

Irina snorted.

"Oh, my."

Kate looked at Tanya, the grin still shameless on her face. "So, blonde bitches are allowed?"

"Welcomed, in fact."

"Well," Esme said loudly, "I'll be going home now that I know you're alright and I've got this memory." She shook the camera before kissing my cheek and beginning to edge away, though rather slowly.

I started to wonder if I was digging too deep a hole for myself.

Tanya beat her sister to speaking. "I knew Rosalie was different when we visited last year, and I knew you were her mate, but honestly, I still find myself shocked."

"What'd she do?" The words left me in my idle curiosity.

"When we came in," Irina answered, "she was watching Emmett play some video game. Kate asked about you and Rosalie said 'What mate?' She generally seemed…"

"Pissed," Tanya supplied. "Except that she grinned for the first time we ever saw once Esme said she was going to find you and we all decided to tag along."

Alice perched in one of the branches above me, making the tree groan a little as she swung her legs back and forth. "Told you she made Rose different."

Irina nodded, but Tanya shook her head. "It's so weird. We've found parts of Emmett lying around before, and for less than _whatever_ happened here. But you're not only intact, but…protesting in a tree? Is that what's happening here? Protesting?"

"Well—"

"Yup!"

I squinted at the ever-excited Alice.

"What? It's true."

Tanya pointed between me and the downed tree. "So, something happened. You probably saying something stupid. No offense."

"None taken."

I expected to see Esme roll her eyes, but she was too busy watching the still-grinning Kate with a distinct Mom vibe.

"Offense said, offense taken by the kind, forgiving Rosalie. She throws you. You come to a stop here and just…stay? Then you increase your offense and she leaves?"

"Uhh…Not quite."

If Alice wasn't a vampire, she would've fallen out the tree for how she moved to stare down at me. "You ran into it, didn't you?"

Esme pinched the bridge of her nose the moment it was clear I wouldn't correct her daughter. While Irina and Tanya each raised an eyebrow, Kate laughed.

Then something occurred to me and I kind of swiveled to look at Kate better. "You asked about me?" Before the words finished leaving my lips, Esme's gaze sharpened, and I could see why.

An almost predatory glint entered Kate's eyes and her grin returned. For all purposes, she basically stalked over to me. "This blonde bitch had a request."

"Well," I said stupidly. "I'm here."

"Indeed you are." She stopped next to me and reached up. "I just wanted to touch your face."

Kate had fucking purred the words as she ran a finger across my cheek and I think if Alice hadn't made a hand gesture, Esme would've…I don't know. Didn't want to think about it.

"Exciting," I deadpanned.

"Very." Electricity exploded at our point of contact, but I didn't feel it.

That didn't mean it didn't startle the fuck out of me. My surprise shook the tree and made Alice's branch sway.

Kate's face lit up and even though she didn't look like she wanted to, she backed away. "Doubly interesting."

"Perhaps you'd like to join us in another game of building snowmen. It was actually fun."

Esme's almost sharp tone made me glance at her. "Who won, anyway?"

Alice scowled down at me. "Esme and Carlisle. But only because Jazzy tricked Edward into hitting Emmett with a snowball!"

When Esme laughed, I nodded sympathetically to try softening the glare Alice was sending her. "Maybe this is your time to shine."

"What do snowmen have to do with snowballs?" Irina asked, looking at her sisters.

"We'll show you." Esme's hand went to the small of Kate's back with a little push.

Definite mom activity at work.

"Bye, Bella," Kate called back.

Alice hopped down as they left and glanced at the text above me. "I love you, you know."

"But?"

"No buts." She smiled at me, a sort of tired relief in her eyes that I'd seen peeking out ever since I got close to everyone in the family.

"I love you to bits, Alice."

After a small wave, I was again alone. I was halfway through reciting Macbeth in my head when I considered just getting out the tree. Tensing my leg, it became obvious that yes, my phone was utterly destroyed. Just me and my homemade sign. And Macbeth.

 _How would a Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet mashup go?_

Something stopped next to me and I jerked out of my thoughts, my tree shuddering once more.

Amber eyes darted between me and my sign. "'No Roses?'"

"Uh," I said, ever eloquent.

"Is there some blonde I should direct back here?" Only Rosalie could manage to shrug with casual violence. "Maybe Kate?"

In what could be considered a dangerous, idiotic move, I turned my gaze to what I could see of the sky. "Well, she does seem to like—"

My jacket tore as a hand yanked me out the tree and, by some blessing of my still-new vampire instincts, I landed on my feet. But before I could start dusting myself off, Rosalie got in my face and I could actually feel her growling as she glared down at me.

"I don't care what anyone likes. You're _mine_."

"Mhm." I pressed against her, lazily wrapping my arms around her. "Did you come because of me or because of Kate?"

"I came because you're mine," she hissed.

But I could feel the tension leaving her body and hid my smile in her neck to keep her from getting riled up all over again. "I'm so sad that you'd leave me out here to die from the cold if it wasn't for Kate."

"You're a vampire."

"At least I have you to keep me warm now."

" _We're both vampires, Bella._ "

Leaning back a little to look into her face, I tried my absolute damnedest to not smile. She sighed, which I ignored. "Maybe—"

"There is no 'maybe.' You crashed through two trees today."

"—But you still warm my heart."

Then her lips were on mine and I reveled in the soft side of Rosalie Hale reserved just for me. Just as I had said, warmth blossomed in my chest. And I knew it was the same for her.

She rested her forehead against mine, eyes closed and a gentle sigh leaving her. "You frustrate me."

"Just doing my job."

Her arms tightened in a small hug. "What were you thinking about?" Of course she read the shift in me at her question and opened her eyes. Concern shined back at me.

"Uh. Weren't you going to show me something?"

"Tomorrow. What were you thinking about?"

"Well. Lately I keep thinking about what would've happened if I never left Phoenix."

Rosalie expressed her thoughts in the best way she knew how. Her hands came to my face and she kissed me like she'd fall apart without me.


	3. Thorns

**A/N:** Damn Cloud back at it again flinging content into the void of the internet at almost 3 am. Anyway, Frank is some kind of god about prompts/requests? Here's what they said:

"For some inexplicable reason, she was jealous. It was stupid. She had no right to be. Love was supposed to be selfless. She didn't want to be like Edward. Selfish and controlling. She was supposed to be happy simply when Bella was happy. But she wasn't and it's tearing her apart and before she knew it she found herself exploding."

I was so fucking hyped about writing this because wow. Two of Rosalie's worst character flaws in tandem. Jealousy/possessiveness PLUS the way she lashes out when she's upset and tries to run people off? Yessss. Also, I hope Frank doesn't mind but I gave into a Bella I've been wanting to write. So, key points, takes place during Bella's senior year and they've been together for like seven-ish months probably.

* * *

It was out of character for her, hunting out of restlessness. She didn't vent this way. Well, to be fair, Rosalie was more so a person who clearly voiced whatever bothered her at the one causing her irritations than she was a person to vent. So this was altogether just off.

Yet her normal, bitchy approach felt like the wrong one.

Rosalie relaxed her body and straightened with a sigh.

The deer, at last aware of her, took off with an obvious desire to live.

She snatched a large plant out the ground and started tearing it to pieces. Being home didn't appeal to her. Hunting didn't appeal to her. Nothing appealed to her except one thing, and she didn't want to seem clingy. But then, why not? Alice swooped in whenever she felt like it. Even Emmett and Edward had taken to that habit. _Jasper_ started doing it. If Bella didn't want that company or was simply busy, she said so. And even then, pouting apparently proved quite effective against her.

Rosalie Hale did not pout.

 _No, you just stomp through the forest instead. How dignified._

She growled at herself, rubbing her temple. She unclenched her jaw. Clenched it again. She needed to clear her head.

Taking off, Rosalie wove her way through the towering trees and up the mountain. She jumped once she was maybe halfway up, swung herself off a branch. Kicked off a tree and latched onto another. She scaled it with ease in under a minute. Not a single tear in her clothes, of course.

She stood, high in the air, hand needlessly braced on the tree, just looking out over the landscape. All the green used to grate on her nerves but it kind of grew on her like Edward had. That is, against her will and rather slowly. A slight wind teased her hair and brought fewer scents to her nose than it would've below. Snow, cold, endless trees…

Home. It smelled like home, if she was being honest.

Rosalie sat on her branch, back against the tree and right leg dangling down. Just her and the air of Forks.

In the distance, a bird dived with a grace she could respect.

Her emotions calmed as the wind gusted and blew and whispered. An idle thought pulled her lips into a soft smile. If Bella was up here, she'd probably fall and hit every branch on the way down, even if she was a vampire.

So odd, so delightfully odd. Her mate could be so precise and execute feats with ease and maybe even something like grace. Then she'd walk into a door.

Rosalie wouldn't have her any other way.

After a while, she dimly realized she was on Esme's favorite side of this mountain.

"Do you have a favorite mountain?" she asked the air, letting her head fall back against the tree.

She thought she was done noting weird sentences or actions that being a vampire caused a decade ago. Yet here she was, unable to suppress a small chuckle at the strange question directed at Bella, wherever she was.

Something ugly spiked in her emotions as she considered where _her_ mate could be. Rather, who with. Rosalie inhaled deeply, pushed it down.

She should really go hunting with Jasper again. It'd been a while. A month, maybe.

Perhaps she could even stand to hunt with Edward for the first time.

Her lip curled as she thought about it.

Rosalie's head lightly bounced against the tree.

Hunting with Edward might make her become the first vampire to projectile vomit.

It happened again.

She cocked an eyebrow, fully coming out of her thoughts. A familiar heartbeat entered her awareness and she couldn't help smiling. "I'm not convinced coming down will be rewarding in any way."

There was another push against the tree.

Rosalie leaned to the side, kicking off her perch. She flipped through the air, perfectly avoiding getting her clothes caught on anything. As she descended, she saw a large wolf standing against the tree she'd been in, front paws still in position to push. Brown eyes tracked her. She landed on a branch maybe thirty feet from the ground and settled down, crossing her ankles as her legs dangled.

Bella got off the tree. She swished her tail once on her way over and sat, looking up at Rosalie.

"You wanted something?" Obviously it was her, but Rosalie treasured these games and didn't see herself giving them up any time soon.

The wolf huffed.

With a hum, Rosalie inspected her nails, thought about how she wanted to play today. But then a certain scent made her nose crinkle.

Bella noticed. She stood up, tail alert and ears half down, eyes searching Rosalie for whatever had upset her.

She pushed off the branch, falling to the ground and stalking over to Bella. She definitely smelled it, fresh and all over her mate. Her jaw tightened. She tried to push it down and ignored the way Bella's tail started to fall once she managed a mostly impassive expression. "Did you have fun with Leah?"

A soft, almost woofing type of noise answered her. _Well, yeah, but what's wrong?_ She understood it perfectly because she knew Bella in a way no one else could, especially after over a year. Because _no one_ could see Bella the way she did. She understood just like Bella did, which was why Bella didn't move closer, didn't move away. Just studied her with that concern in big brown eyes.

It pissed her off, and she knew it to be unreasonable. They shared this connection, this understanding. But for Leah's scent to be all over her mate, to mingle with the distinct smell of her? A memory of them tumbling around last week, playful growls and wagging tails flashed across her mind. They didn't need their voices because they could hear each other's thoughts.

Leah knew Bella in a way she never could.

Bella took a small step closer, letting out a little whine.

It was stupid. She was gorgeous. She knew Bella. Bella was _her_ mate. Bella would drop anything for her. Bella even coerced her into rolling around in the _mud_ in mock fights and she'd actually had fun and taken to starting them herself. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, she was jealous. She had no right to be. Love was supposed to be selfless. She didn't want to be like Edward. Selfish and controlling. She was supposed to be happy simply when Bella was happy. But she wasn't. And whether that tore her apart more or less than the actual, foolish jealousy, she didn't know, but she couldn't deal with it anymore. Some part of her mind registered she should _leave_ , but Rosalie was living in her emotions and before she knew it she found herself exploding.

"Did you want to remind me of her? Of how much fun you can have with her that you can't with me?" She could feel her glare sharpening, coming to a dangerous point. One that many had all but fled from with the decision to never mention whatever pissed her off or to talk to her when she had reason.

Bella, being absolutely Bella, shook her head violently. She pawed the ground as if poking around for Rosalie's composure.

"Obviously you do. You reek of her. Am I some joke to you? You roll around with that mutt and then come to me, expecting the same?" When Bella's ears flattened and she whined again, a spike of self-loathing pierced Rosalie. It wasn't fair to be doing this when Bella couldn't say anything back. That alone angered her further and drove her on, even if she couldn't look directly into sad brown eyes. "You're all over each other and in each other's minds every weekend while I miss you because I don't even see you at school anymore! While you're at it, why don't you just roll in bed with her too? Then come tell me about it. Or don't come back at all."

Large paws had been anxiously shifting, but Bella finally stood up. She hesitated in the middle of a step as Rosalie's voice cut the air again.

"You know, I don't even know why I mentioned a bed. You'd probably just fuck the mutt on the ground. What a joke."

Bella made a small noise, moving with the clear intent of getting close to her upset imprint regardless of whether or not it was welcomed.

Rosalie darted away. She didn't deserve Bella's kindness or understanding or comfort. Not when she'd put that sadness in her own mate's eyes. She felt sick. She didn't know how to go back from this or stop, because stopping meant dealing with it and that was something she had no experience with. How could her mate not even be _angry_? "Honestly, what even is this? What's the punchline? Pitting mortal enemies against each other? Or is it just me? Something about getting under my skin? Because good fucking job, you win. You ruffled Rosalie Hale's feathers."

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she looked away. She should really go somewhere, anywhere. A breeze brought the smell of Bella to her with full force, tainted by wet dog. "What has my life come to? I'm yelling at a damn dog in the woods! A dog who happily brings some bitch's scent into my room and just contaminates—"

Bella's massive shoulder caught her by surprise and knocked her to the ground. She didn't move aside from rolling onto her back. Just pressed her hands to her eyes and held her breath. She'd run home, compose herself, and get scolded by Esme. She didn't even care that Esme might actually yell at her, she needed some advice on how to _begin_ to apologize for this disaster.

Except then something very large and very hot hovered over her. A wet nose nudged her elbow.

"Please don't." There was no possible way she deserved Bella's patience.

And yet, Bella nudged her with more force.

"Please. Just leave me alone." When Bella didn't move, she sighed. Her voice came out tired. "I want to be alone right now."

It was strange. The weight and heat and fur left as if it'd been sucked into a vacuum in space. Now, she just felt the familiar warmth and weight of Bella straddling her. Sure enough, Bella grasped her wrists, pulling gently but not forcing her to move.

"You know I'll never let you be alone, Rosalie."

"I am requesting to be left alone." She sighed. "This is different. It's what I want."

"Well you're shit out of luck because I'm a dumb dog."

Even though Bella chuckled, Rosalie couldn't help grimacing. Then she remembered something. "We can talk later. When you have clothes on. Perhaps tomorrow, after school, if you have the time."

"Nope, you decided against that when you flipped out. Now look at me, you ass."

Rosalie considered throwing her off and running home, but, knowing her mate, she'd just have an oversized wolf chasing her. So, she stopped resisting and let Bella move her hands. She avoided brown eyes, opting to watch a bug crawl up the tree next to her. Then warm hands cupped her face and drew her attention out of reflex.

"Oh, Rose." Bella sighed. Even though a light blush dusted her cheeks, probably from being naked and on top of Rosalie in the forest, sadness pulled at her eyebrows. She couldn't look away from the tears in amber eyes. "I'd never want to hear your thoughts. Ever."

Averting her gaze, she realized her voice sounded vulnerable. "Why not?"

"Because you're a bitch." Bella smiled at Rosalie's dubious look. She brushed her thumbs across cold cheeks. "How am I supposed to be shocked or offended or impressed by you if I already know where you're going with things? You're difficult. Complicated. You're an eternally shifting puzzle I want to spend every day figuring out till the end of time."

Rosalie covered the hands on her face. "I'm s—"

"Shh." One of Bella's fingers slid over Rosalie's lips. Something like shyness entered her smile. "I love you too, Rose."

Her chest vibrated in a purr. Just as Bella's smile started to grow, Rosalie sat up, hugging her close and resting her forehead against Bella's collarbone. She'd spent years scoffing at Jasper and Alice, Esme and Carlisle. But now she understood because she adored a person who technically fell under her classification of a mutt. Because she felt so wild, so alive with this person. Because Bella had endless patience for months about her expressing herself, both in words and actions. Because they'd never exchanged those important words before, but Bella knew exactly where her outburst came from.

Because she loved Bella too.

"Are you done being jealous?" The immediate cease in her purring didn't stop Bella from running her fingers through blonde hair.

"No."

"Are you going to work on it?"

"Yes."

She pulled back some when she felt Bella wiggling her phone from her pocket.

"Fantastic. Also work on just dropping by more often when you want to see me. I feel like I'm always bothering you. Be clingy with me, dammit. I won't tell anyone." Bella stood up, looking off as she absently held the phone back toward Rosalie.

She was on her feet in the blink of an eye. "Will you shift already? Preferably before someone comes along and I have to remove their eyes."

"Ah, ah." Bella waved a finger at her. "Jealousy."

A growl filled the air. "This is different!"

Unfazed, Bella cocked her head. "You can take their eyes but not their memories. I'm unforgettable. Or so I like to think."

" _Isabella_."

"Don't worry, you're getting your wish. Charlie won't be home for another four hours and I'm about to be covered in fur. I'll take nothing short of a fervent apology, but only if you get there first." Winking, Bella took a few steps back before exploding into a wolf and weaving through the forest with ease.

Rosalie blinked. This wasn't remotely how she expected things to go after blowing up on her mate. But then, that was it. Bella was her mate and they knew each other like no one could ever hope to. As warmth filled her chest anew, her mind fully processed Bella's words.

She blurred toward Bella's house as fast as she could, her laugh carrying through the trees.

Rosalie Hale did, after all, enjoy coming first.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope everyone liked it as much as I do. I love Bella and Leah being bros and I love Rose having thorns and Bella being fully aware of it. God, do you know how flattered I'd be by Ice Queen Rosalie Hale getting jealous over me and actually losing her composure? Mkay, I'm going to see about sleeping now, maybe.

 **QrowLocke:** Thanks :) And yes, definitely getting Coolyo's request for the boombox oneshot. It's on my list with five other requests lol And you better believe we'll have scenes in honestly probably everything I post of Rose chasing Bella and shit because I love it. P.S: Yes I've spent entire days listening to Vessels on repeat! Tbh, much of my Rose/Bella stuff is written to the sounds of Starset.

 **Z:** I saw you roll through my stories and let me tell you, it made my heart soar to see you comment on Gone Forever.


	4. Our Love Is A Song

**A/N:** So, I got this in:

"I'm not Frank but I have a request? I'm obsessed with the idea of Bella following Rose around school and serenading her. Rose acts annoyed but she loves the attention. Alice is pissed because Bella has a nice voice but refuses to sing with her. Bella just wants Rose to say yes to going to prom so she can stop singing sappy love songs. Human/Vampire?"

Wonderful prompt/request, and I would've filled it earlier, like days earlier, but between both my girl's parents getting into car accidents a few days ago and trying to make sure everyone's okay and figure things out and not having more than one car for five people anymore, I'm stressed out of my mind. So, that said, this might be a little off and when I get to the next Black Star chapter, it also might be a little off. I just want to wake up in a month, to be honest. Be patient with me if I owe you a PM.

* * *

A small smile twitched about Edward's lips as Rosalie actually shoved things into her locker in a hurry. She could've been gone already. The distinct sound of Bella's heartbeat became clearer as she rounded the corner and he watched the scowl come over Rosalie's face.

As Bella's voice called over the din of all the students, it was clear she'd already spotted the resident ice queen of Forks. " _They warn me, you're a storm, but I've known since always. Always, I want to be at the center._ "

Rosalie slammed her locker shut and stomped away, pushing people too slow to move. But it was futile since a path opened up behind her and Bella could easily follow. Some just accepted this weird occurrence after more than a dozen times and didn't want to be in the middle of it, but some still just moved out of Bella's way so they could stare better and try to process that their eyes and ears actually worked.

Bella switched songs, waving at him as she did. " _Fairy tales are tales but we're a love story our children will tell. Baby, it's you and me and watching the sun rise. Just say yes, say you love me too. Say I'm dreaming wide awake, say this love isn't a cautionary tale._ "

Edward shook his head, sharing a look with Jasper as he approached with Alice.

"Fuck off, Bella!"

Alice scowled. "They deserve each other."

Jasper chuckled.

Down a different hall, they could still hear their favorite human, on yet another song. " _You're toxic, you're an addiction, you're water in my lungs. God help my soul, I don't wanna be saved, I don't wanna be sober, I don't care for air._ "

Whispers, as they often did during the last two weeks, filled the air in their wake. Whispers about Bella Swan trying to get Rosalie Hale to go to prom with her, about whether or not Rosalie Hale actually knew Bella Swan even existed. About whether or not they were already together.

Rosalie's voice cut through a line Bella sang harshly, "Don't you have a class to go to? Or somewhere to be that is far, far away from me?"

Still, Edward heard her silently hope Bella would follow her into AP Physics again.

* * *

"How was your day, dear?" Esme's question was overly innocent, the same as her smile, and it definitely elicited the desired effect.

A ragged sigh tore out of Rosalie. She threw her book down on the couch and glared across the living room at the motherly vampire. "Horrific. I am still being followed and harassed by a stubborn fool."

Nodding with false sympathy, Esme fought the urge to laugh. She ignored the way Emmett entered the room, snickering. "What a pity, dear. Have you figured out what this annoying, horrific person wants from you?"

Emmett stopped behind Rosalie and leaned over the back of the couch, dramatically clutching at his chest as he echoed one of Bella's song choices from the day. " _Where can I go without you? How can I breathe without you? Tell me you're breathless too, tell me—_ " He grunted, shoved to the ground by the seething blonde.

"This is not funny!"

"What is it then?" Jasper called from upstairs.

Edward drifted to Esme's side. "Yes, do tell."

"A crime is what it is." Alice didn't notice or care that Rosalie nodded in agreement as she threw herself down on the opposite couch. "She just smiles or laughs instead of singing _with me_. We even know some of the same songs!"

"Oh, I had no idea your suffering was so much more tragic than mine. How could I be so self-centered," Rosalie snapped.

"As her best friend, I am _suffering_ from a grand betrayal. This is against some near and dear codes of this level of friendship. And you don't even appreciate any of this!"

Esme sighed, leaving the room because conversations were pointless once Alice and Rosalie started up. Edward and Emmett, meanwhile, looked between the two with varying levels of amusement.

"Why would I appreciate _harassment_? Two and a half weeks of it, no less. She—"

"Will you stop stealing Edward's drama queen title?"

Edward touched a hand to his chest. "I beg your pardon?"

"I simply wish to live in peace!"

Alice leaned back, her voice returning to a normal volume. "At least you get your wish."

Rosalie kicked Emmett in the ribs when he laughed. "What do you mean?" The casual response of only a lazy shrug of her shoulder made Rosalie hiss.

Edward answered her question, mirroring Alice's shrug. "Apparently Bella will stop harassing you after tomorrow."

A few muscles twitched in Rosalie's face. She straightened and nodded slowly. "Good. I can finally begin to enjoy life again."

They all shared a look after Rosalie left the house.

* * *

The sound of Rosalie grinding her teeth might've been audible to a human if one was around. But she stood alone, in front of the door of the Swan home. Of course Alice had been right. Bella had continued following and serenading her for a full day, and then only once that Friday. Now instead of doing something reasonable, she was glaring holes in a door on a Sunday afternoon.

It seemed dangerously close to a confession.

A confession she didn't have. Because what Bella had been doing was, in fact, harassing her. Publicly. While it was something she could, if she was honest, appreciate, demanding to know why it had stopped would be taken as her missing it. And that wasn't exactly true.

No, she just liked the attention.

Which didn't _necessarily_ mean she liked that Bella did it, or that it consisted of love songs, or that she was pleased Bella didn't repeat a song even once. It definitely didn't mean she wanted to go to prom with Bella.

Realistically speaking, all of this was a mistake that she had been sucked into. Bella should be traumatizing the school by singing stupid songs with Alice, if anything. Though, her voice was actually nice.

Rosalie growled at herself.

This game had gotten out of hand. It was fun. But it also required a certain distance to be played and she missed the way they'd started being physically closer. And it'd somehow changed so that Bella had the upper hand.

Upon opening her car door, she cursed herself and pretended not to notice Bella leaning in the doorway.

"Did you need something?"

"No," she said, settling into the seat. "Alice asked me to give you something but it seems I've forgotten it."

Annoyingly, persistently, Bella strolled over to Rosalie's side of the car and braced her forearms on the edge of the window with a cocked eyebrow. "Weird. You're not forgetful. You feeling okay?"

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she resolutely stared ahead. "I'll feel better if you get your head out of my car and stop touching it in general."

"Right. Human stains." Yet she didn't move. "What'd you forget to bring?"

"I don't recall. It's something in a box." Did she just make it so she had to buy Bella a gift?

"Huh."

Rosalie's teeth ground together, finally looking at the human who seemed to detect no danger from leaning into a vampire's window. "And what does that mean?"

Bella shrugged.

One of Rosalie's eyes twitched.

"So, am I taking you to prom?"

"Absolutely not. You—"

"Why not?"

"I don't know if you're aware or remember—maybe not as you seem defective—but vampires have mates. True, eternal loves."

Bella hummed in agreement.

"I am not interested in silly flings."

"Right."

Rosalie felt the passing need to throttle her. "Apparently you haven't processed anything I just said."

"I did."

"Obviously not. You haven't even processed that I do not want you invading my space like this." She gestured to their proximity even as Bella shifted a little more of her body into the window. It wouldn't take much for them to be able to kiss at this point. The thought stirred something in Rosalie.

"I heard and understood."

"But?"

"But I know you."

Rosalie scoffed. "You've known me for six months. Edward can read minds and has been around me for decades. He can _maybe_ say he knows me."

"I know you differently."

"Of course you do." Gold eyes rolled. "That must be why you've been harassing me."

Bella turned a hand over, palm up, and waited.

Though she cocked an eyebrow curiously, she hovered her hand over Bella's.

Unfazed, because she always was, Bella lifted her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to Rosalie's knuckles. "Courting you."

A smile wanted to destroy the casual annoyance on her face, but she remained in control. "Again, you forget I have a destined mate somewhere in this world."

"Again, I didn't forget."

She pulled her hand from Bella's. "Then what exactly is it with you and this fruitless endeavor?"

"Oh, just humoring the part of you that's a drama queen."

" _Fruitless endeavor_ ," Rosalie repeated, ignoring the warmth in her chest brought on by Bella's understanding of her. "You didn't quite answer me, you just offended me."

"Well it's not fruitless because you have a mate."

Rosalie's laugh dissolved into a smirk as she looked over Bella. "Are you saying you're my mate?"

The amusement in brown eyes mirrored Rosalie's. "Are you saying I'm not?"

Now, there was absolutely no way she could express that she wanted Bella to continue "harassing" her without being obvious. But she enjoyed this game too much and could only hope her mate did too. She shifted her car into reverse. "Get out of my car or I'll drag you down the street."

Bella raised an eyebrow but didn't otherwise react.

Gold eyes glared. "Are you deaf?"

She left Rosalie's space and stretched. Then she headed toward her house without a backward glance, singing softly, " _And I don't why, but without you next to me I'm not sure I'm real. The sun and moon retreat at times. My love remains, this insanity consumes me. My love, are you real? Are you the sun or moon, or are you eternal stars?_ "

* * *

By Tuesday afternoon, Rosalie had figured that the game had entirely shifted, that Bella wouldn't continue her efforts unless prompted, or at all. She zoned out as Edward spoke about something she couldn't even remember at this point. As she looked at her siblings, she could tell only Jasper was paying him any attention, and barely even then. The din of the cafeteria pressed against her and she sighed, mindlessly fiddling with the cap of her water bottle.

A familiar heartbeat kicked up and Rosalie casually glanced across the large room and, after a few kids moved, caught sight of her mate staring her way.

The quiet words easily reached vampire ears. "It's rude to make me keep embarrassing myself like this."

She shifted her body toward Bella, tilting her head in silent question.

"Oh, great," Alice mumbled. "Here we go with another betrayal."

Bella's voice carried through the cafeteria somewhat loudly, and the longer she went on, the quieter the students were. " _Our love's lived a thousand lives and, darling, I'd live a thousand just to find you—_ "

Jessica elbowed her hard enough to make her choke and cough. Her fierce whisper cut across Bella's indignation. " _Christ, Bella!_ I can't keep hanging with you if you keep doing this shit. Rosalie Hale is _not_ interested in you!"

"Yes she is!"

"Uh, I dunno, Bella," Mike whispered awkwardly, glancing at Rosalie himself. "She doesn't look happy."

Angela didn't say anything as she focused harder on her book.

"Get over it! Besides, don't you think she's a little out of your league? By, like, I don't know, a lot?"

"I'm so happy to know what you think of me, Jess," Bella snapped.

As the conversations at surrounding tables began to pick up again, Mike waved his hands at her and leaned around Jessica like that could keep her from talking. "It's not you, Bella. What Jess is saying is that Rosalie is, uh, you know. Like…"

"A goddess? Yes, I know. She's crazy about me."

"A bold, correct claim," Jasper mused, a smile pulling at his lips. He ignored the smack to his shoulder.

"No she isn't," Jessica hissed. "You're being weird. Sorry, but I'm your friend. Singing love songs—"

"Serenading," Angela suggested.

"—serenading someone is sweet and romantic, but not when they don't want it. That bitch is going to run you over with her car if you don't stop!"

"I'm not stopping until she agrees to go to prom with me, okay?"

Mike rubbed the back of his neck. "You're going to be doing that in your grave then. You know that, right? Sorry, dude."

"Even Mike can see it, Bella! Why can't you?"

Angela closed her book. "Because Rosalie likes it."

"What?"

"Are you crazy?"

Bella nodded along to Angela's statement.

Patiently, Angela looked between Mike and Jessica. "Everybody knows Rosalie Hale is both an ice and drama queen, right? Right. She's vain." She waited a moment as they nodded, wondering if they'd catch on. "Bella's building her presumably large ego and making her the center of attention and proudly embarrassing herself to publicly express her affections."

"Yeah, but, like, obviously she'd prefer someone who isn't named _Bella_ to do that."

"Hey! What's wrong with me?"

"Have you really not seen the little smile she gets when Bella sucks in a deep breath to start up? I've only caught it a few times. Rosalie immediately scowls, but it still happens. And why hasn't she changed her route to her classes even once if she didn't like it?"

"Holy shit."

Jessica, meanwhile, whipped around to look at Rosalie—who pretended to be looking somewhere else—and then gaped at Angela. "No. No way. Not _Bella._ "

"Yup." Bella grinned.

"If it's not the case, then don't you at least think ice queen Rosalie Hale who's made over a dozen boys cry would've sent Bella running in the opposite direction?"

Rosalie called out Bella's name from her seat, making the girl's whole table look at her and maybe a fourth of the cafeteria do the same.

"Are you going to threaten to slash my tires again if I don't stop harassing you?"

She smiled at the amusement in brown eyes, even at this distance. Her mate sure knew how to draw and hold attention for someone who didn't like it much. Rosalie shook her head. "I don't want to go to prom with you."

"Yes, have this conversation by yelling across a large, packed room. What an intimate way to begin your relationship with your mate," Edward muttered.

Jessica smacked Bella's arm. "I fucking told you!"

Before the girl could continue, Rosalie blew a kiss and she could hear several heartbeats pounding wildly at the action. "I know a great restaurant and I expect you at seven sharp on Friday."

A large smile lit up Bella's face. It prompted a smaller one from Rosalie, and, even if it was for only a moment, she forgot about all the people in the room.

* * *

 **A/N:** Gaaaaay. Anyway, see you guys later.

Oh, Frank, if you see this, TeganCappa dubbed you "The Plot Whisperer."


	5. Drabbles: Volume 1

**A/N:** Okay so my writing time has been cut by a lot (Plus I've had a total mess of thing to deal with) and Black Star is impossible to work on from my phone via google drive because my phone would shit itself and I'd scream because Black Star is _**big**_ and references itself a lot and I'd be flipping between chapters and opening google tabs to the point I'd, just, lose it. So that's coming slower.

Anyway, an Anon dropped by my tumblr and asked for ANYTHING to be uploaded, especially since Paige, Beastly, and I pretty much stopped uploading at the same time lmao So here's a compilation of some drabbles I've written on tumblr and a couple I haven't even posted there while I scramble to write shit.

* * *

 **Jars and Weekdays**

She arched an eyebrow at Bella's determination. For the better part of ten minutes, the human had been struggling with opening some jar. Rosalie gave up pretense and openly started watching a little over five minutes ago. Bella bustled around the small kitchen for the fifth time in some attempt to mask her increasing frustration and embarrassment.

"So…How was school today?"

Bella huffed, closing the fridge with just a little too much force. "You and I both know you don't care about school."

High school? Definitely not. But she did miss casually seeing Bella throughout the day and hearing Alice talk about Bella's future mishaps. The sometimes rambunctious nature of their lunch table grated against her nerves on occasion, but it held a fond place in her heart. And not seeing Bella for more than 24 hours made her grumpier than she cared to admit.

With an absolute lack of grace, Bella crashed into the seat opposite of Rosalie and propped up her chin on her fists. "It's pretty boring without my bully."

Rosalie sniffed. "Pardon? I am not a bully."

"You've pushed me into lockers, removed the ink from all my pens, knocked my textbooks out my hands, stolen my homework, temporarily disabled my truck…I mean, I could go on."

With a hum, Rosalie dipped her fingers into the cup in front of her and flicked water into Bella's face. "I don't appreciate these claims against my character."

"You're a menace."

She eyed Bella's soft smile. "Hmm, like that jar of spaghetti sauce?"

"Ugh!" Bella shot out of her chair and snatched the offending object off the counter.

Rosalie watched her fumble around a drawer with an idle smile. She'd miss things like this when Bella became a vampire, but, at the same time, she was excited for the things they'd be able to do. So, in the end, she simply committed these moments to her memory, like Bella using a knife to loosen the lid of a jar instead of accepting her help.

Bella started the sauce on the stove and went to grab a box of noodles out the pantry. "Wishing I'd doubled my math classes in Phoenix when I had the chance because maybe then I would've had Calculus with you last year and had an additional period for whatever this year."

"We can have every class together next time, if you like."

"Nah," Bella said, staring a little too intently at the sauce. "That doesn't give me time to pursue a blonde bitch."

"Does she lead to a grave?" Rosalie asked coldly.

Bella threw a casual glance over her shoulder before going to the pantry again. "I hope not. I can't pursue you forever if maggots are eating me."

The smile on her face was an easy one, and she almost laughed a little. Nearly a year later Bella still held unconventional and often vivid compliments.

Bella cursed at the second jar of sauce in her hands.

Rosalie came up behind her and opened the jar in less than two seconds.

"Fuck out my face," Bella grumbled, dumping the contents into the pot. Though, she did lean back against the vampire.

Rosalie wrapped her left arm around her waist with a hum. "But I'm not in your face." She pushed aside some of Bella's hair so she could nuzzle into her neck.

"Look, you almost got your hair in my food and I'm not in a mood to see you cry about your hair staining red or something." Bella's tone didn't match her actions as she held her hand over Rosalie's and used her free arm to keep blonde hair from falling into the sauce.

Rosalie pressed a soft kiss to Bella's neck and started to purr. "I trust you."

Bella's heart betrayed her cool voice. "That doesn't mean I feel like holding your hair. Now, shoo, I'm trying to feed myself."

She straightened and gave Bella a light squeeze. "So feed yourself."

"Well, I need to grab some seasonings and I need that spoon to stir before the sauce bubbles and maybe gets in your hair or hits me and it's hotter than I want on my skin."

Rosalie rested her cheek against Bella's hair. "You're just trying to get rid of me. Frankly, I find it hurtful."

"What I'm trying to do is hurry this up so there will be food when Charlie comes home and we're still at the movie I planned to drag you to."

Rosalie sat back down in the blink of an eye.

Bella laughed.

* * *

 **[Person A mentions a spring or fall wedding, but forgot to actually propose, where Bella is Person A]**

She springs from the table as she screams that it was what she forgot and sends her coffee everywhere. She's blessed by none of it hitting the flawless blonde.

Rosalie casually raises her eyebrows as she looks up over her book. "So that's what the expensive date was for last night."

Bella stares at her stupidly. She wonders what words are and if they can save her.

The remaining coffee drips off the counter from where her cup landed.

Rosalie's eyes drift back down to her book. "Yes. But I'm not accepting this as a proposal."

Bella crashes into Rosalie's chair, hugging her shoulders. "I love you, Rose."

"You're in the way of my book."

She can't fight her grin as she retreats to clean the spilled coffee. Afterward, Bella makes to leave and grab her things for work.

"Spring," Rosalie says.

* * *

 **Sunshine and Flowers**

Bella looked at Rosalie for the hundredth time. Sunlight glanced off the vampire's arm and Bella's breath caught, making her stumble up the incline.

Rosalie steadied her with a soft smile, that ever-present promise shining in gold eyes. A promise that Bella echoed.

 _I'm here. I've got you._

After a quiet hour of trekking through trees and plants and even across a river, they settled in a meadow with pockets of sunlight peeking through fluffy clouds. Here, there was almost an illusion of being somewhere else, as instead of the endless green of Forks, reds and purples and blues stretched across the meadow and lent a floral smell to the air.

Bella plopped herself down near the middle and leaned back on her hands, just absently watching clouds go by. "Times like this I can forget I even existed before moving here."

A soft hum filled the air for a moment. "I can say something similar."

"Well, how about you say something similar then?" As a ray of sunlight rolled over her, she looked at Rosalie, who'd already raised an eyebrow at her.

Rosalie held her expression as a band of warmth eased over her face, her skin glittering with brilliance. She knew Bella had committed the sight to memory and it prompted a subtle smile. "Unlike me, you actually have to remember to breathe."

The way she sucked in air led to a small coughing fit and Bella decided to throw herself back and stare up at the sky. Her eyes closed after a few minutes.

"I look back on how I was before you and it seems like someone else instead of me. That is, until I think all the way back to a girl whose heart sang its excitement at the thought of simply loving someone."

Bella's smile grew into a grin when cold lips touched her cheek. "I love you too, Rose."

Comfortable silence settled in. Wind played with the flowers and rolled over them. A howl sounded in the distance. Still, they just relaxed in the same space, just enjoyed each other's presence.

"These flowers are obnoxious."

The words pulled Bella from her half-asleep state, but she didn't open her eyes. She cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, yes you are." A slap to her stomach made her grunt. "What? Are you bullying the other flowers or something?"

"I'm going to throw you off a cliff one day. I hope you know that."

"What a weird way to get me to scream your name." She smiled when a gentle laugh reached her ears.

It wasn't long before Rosalie asked, "What's that over there?"

"Hmm?" Bella sat up, looking in the indicated direction. "Trees? What are you asking me for when you're the va—" She blinked. Slowly, she reached up and touched the thing that'd been placed on her head. Brown eyes moved to a smiling Rosalie. "Flower…crown?"

Rosalie, still smiling, lifted one from next to her made of purples and a few blues. She put it on and pulled out her phone, shifting closer and leaning her head against Bella's shoulder. "Stop gawking."

A stupid, happy smile overtook Bella's face.

While Rosalie looked at the photo, Bella touched her own flower crown as if to make sure it was really there. It was, mirroring Rosalie's by being mostly blue and having a few purple flowers.

"The red ones are apparently horrendous for this so—" Bella's lips cut off her words.

Rosalie smiled during the kiss, making Bella do the same.

* * *

 **"Sounds Gay, I'm In" joke**

Rosalie looked up from her book the exact second Bella's match with Emmett in Mortal Kombat ended. She'd only been waiting an hour for this. Well. She'd thought about it for a majority of said hour and only decided on it five minutes ago, but still. As her mate scowled at Emmett and she moved her lips, Alice literally cartwheeled in her way.

"Finally! Bella, I was thinking we could go see a movie tomorrow." She righted herself with a wide smile as Esme entered the living room behind her. "Or maybe tonight? And shopping tomorrow?"

Bella, for her part, did a good job of avoiding the puppy eyes focused on her as she fiddled with the stick of her controller. "Uhm, I…"

"You're instead going on a dinner date with me?" Esme asked almost hopefully.

Carlisle's voice drifted downstairs. "Answering another list of questions I've compiled?"

"I asked her first!" Alice's fists rested on her hips as she stuck her tongue out at Esme and toward the ceiling even though Carlisle couldn't see.

"I don't think they can hear you, Shortie." Emmett bumped shoulders with Bella, who looked like she contemplated running away. "How about we go to an arcade instead, yeah?"

"I'm your mother," Esme reminded Alice, who was busy informing Emmett her height had nothing to do with people hearing her.

Just as Rosalie felt the need to roll her eyes out her head, Jasper stuck his face into the living room with a grin reserved for whenever she was frustrated. "Chess game?"

"Concert!" Edward yelled from somewhere in the house and Rosalie had not a singular doubt it was solely to spite her.

Esme crossed her arms. "You kids have had Bella all week _and_ this afternoon."

"School days don't count," Emmett and Alice rebutted.

Jasper chirped something about chess again while the psychic and her brother joined forces against Esme.

Bella, meanwhile, edged her way toward the kitchen, obviously hoping to get out the back door.

Carlisle and Edward appeared, mentioning chess in time with Jasper, immature grins on all their faces.

Rosalie threw down her book as she jumped to her feet. "Dinner and a walk at the pier in Seattle with me!"

Bella peeked out from the safety of the kitchen. 'Sounds gay. I'm in."

The whole coven stared at her.

"You've been with Rosalie for months," Carlisle said plainly, as if she'd forgotten.

Bella shrugged a shoulder. "What can I say? She makes me gay."

Rosalie slapped a hand to her face.

* * *

 **Furniture**

Bella sighed, looking around at the mess surrounding her as she sat on the floor of the kitchen. Little packages of nails and screws and L braces and some nice wood. You wouldn't know she was striving to have a table. She pulled one of the legs across her lap and looked at the vampire sitting on the counter. "So. Tell me again why you stole the instructions?"

Gold eyes cut to her before resuming the inspection of her nails. "I did not steal them."

"Okay. Tell me how you lost them."

"I don't lose things."

Bella closed her eyes and threw her head back. "Okay. Alright. So. What disaster did the instructions suffer?"

"Are you telling me you're not intelligent enough to put together a table?"

"There is an extending feature to this table that is also missing. By some weird, crazy coincidence. Pretty sure I'm also missing some screws." Bella pointed a table leg at her. "Call me crazy but I'm thinking I should have four of these instead of three."

"You're crazy. Everything you need to assemble that is there, no? Or should we go return it?"

"I am not driving ass fuck back to Seattle for you to smirk at me."

That exact smirk started to appear. "Well perhaps you shouldn't have broken the table and purchased a faulty one."

"You broke the table!" Bella's wild wave of her arms led to her smacking a table leg against another one and scuffing them both. "Fuck. You know what? I'm going to sleep."

Rosalie just watched as Bella curled up on what would be the top of the table. Then, after Bella had settled and closed her eyes, Rosalie slipped off the counter to turn out the light and sit beside the literal head of the table. She raked her nails across Bella's scalp in a gentle, paced manner and smiled at the hum it produced. "I knew you were serious. Good night."

"Are you staying?"

"Yes."

Bella scooted up the length of the wood until she could rest her head against Rosalie's thigh. "Night, Rose. Let me know if you get bored."

After she'd fallen asleep, Rosalie murmured, "I love you too."

If Charlie had looked at them strangely when he got home, then his eyes popped out his head the next day when he had a three-legged table in his kitchen.

* * *

 **Awkward**

Unraveling her earbuds, she's humming and bouncing her leg to a tune that's been in her head all day, but only placed last period. It's why she chose to make it to the cafeteria early and claim a table away from her friends. It would just be her and a song she hadn't heard in ages for the next half hour or so.

As she plugs them into her phone, her eyebrow arches at the shadow that passed over her, but she doesn't look up to see who's sitting beside her. Clearly not Alice. Edward always announces himself. Her human friends would've brought loud life to the table.

Not a single sound.

Finally, earbuds twirling in her fingers, she looks up. Her face smooths out, eyebrows try to meet her hairline. The earbuds complete their last arc and simply dangle.

Rosalie Hale, the only one among the coven who hasn't spoken a word to her, is sitting next to her. Back too straight and eyes too focused ahead, hands clasped on the table in front of herself. She could be negotiating life and death for her lack of ease.

It takes a moment for Bella to slide her eyes to the Cullen table, but they aren't there yet.

Jessica's call to her dies in the middle of a syllable. There isn't another attempt.

"Hey," she tries.

For what could've been a second, sharp gold eyes turn to her. Rosalie's eyebrows match the tightness of her mouth. Accusatory, angry, like an angel about to pass judgement. "Hello." She stares forward once more.

Bella swallows, and swallows again. Her leg is bouncing faster, she realizes. "Not like, hey what are you doing here, but hey, like hi or hello."

"Did I not greet you?"

Sprinting across the room and out the doors and around the building to her truck so she could drive away seems like a good idea. Even though, currently, that plan makes her crash straight into the rest of the Cullens. Alice waves at her with a certain tiredness to her smile Bella's never seen.

She understands.

A show of will makes her leg stop bouncing. Scrolling through her phone, Bella pops in an earbud and holds out the other. But her hand is close to herself, like it might get taken off if she encroaches on the vampire's space. "Want to listen with me?"

Rosalie accepts. No part of them touches.

Silence stops jumping through Bella's veins. Air enters her lungs easier.

Rosalie's back isn't rigid anymore.

After the third song of them just sitting there, staring ahead, staring at nothing, Bella bounces once in Rosalie's direction, a habit she'd picked up from a certain small vampire. "Alice said you like cars."

The verse of the song ends. "I do."

"You probably hate my truck."

"Actually, it makes me nostalgic. Whoever rebuilt the engine has lessons to learn, though. It shouldn't entirely sound as if it's a dying animal every time you start it."

Bella nods, ignoring the way Alice looks pained across the cafeteria, occasionally glancing at them through her fingers. "He _is_ only sixteen. Still, pretty sure my neighbors would like to sleep through me trying to leave." Bella ends it with a small laugh that speaks of simple hope for shared humor.

Rosalie's head turns a few degrees in her direction, hair falling in a magnificent wave over her shoulder. "I could fix it for you."

Bella answers the question with her own. She keeps her leg from bouncing as she does. "I could keep you company."

Another song ends. The bell rings.

Rosalie removes the earbud and deposits it into Bella's waiting hand without eye contact. She rises with a grace Bella couldn't hope for even if she made a sacrifice to the gods. "I suppose your neighbors will sleep better."

She's gone, but Bella smiles.

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay so yeah that was gay as fuck (Flower crowns!) and to hold you over I'm letting you know right now I've been casually doing a special project for months that's based on a concept of Paige's and I have enough of it (three chapters lmao I wasn't just giving the middle finger to Black Star) to start casually posting it. It's Rose/Bella and if you enjoyed one of Paige's stories, you'll shriek, love, or hate what this project is. Either way, it's coming soon. Like, maybe the 10th of September. Maybe sooner. Paige screams frequently about me posting it this very minute. You won't have to read the particular story of Paige's in order to enjoy this project, either. Meanwhile, an update for Satellite is coming on the 8th.

*leaves with a flourish*


	6. Amazing Encounter

**A/N:** Shit out this concept I've had for a while. Did it today for sad anon and for firenubs.

You can tell I'm tired if you look at the shittiest pun I've ever made that is the title.

* * *

Maybe she should've tried a new coffee. A small breeze found its way to her and, as she pushed hair from her eyes, she looked up. Squinted a little as the sun started to peek out from behind possibly the fattest cloud she'd ever seen. She took another sip and glanced at a metalwork bench a ways from the next corner of the maze.

Sitting there and taking a small break would probably give her enough time to hit up google on what kind of plant-tree-bush thing the maze was.

But then she might pull up a _map_ of it and that kind of defeated the purpose.

There was a rustle of leaves, sudden and insistent, and it straightened her spine. She'd almost sprinted off and around the corner. Almost. Too many horror games at 3 am. But she'd also come close to pitching her coffee at whatever created the noise and closing in with a fist.

So she wound up a little stuck.

Charlie would be ashamed of her.

"Please tell me you know where the exit is. Otherwise, kill me."

That chick sounded _tired_. And as Bella turned around, she realized she embodied it. The stranger made her feel underdressed even though they were both wearing jeans and a shirt. Bella could probably buy her own outfit three times over for the cost of hers. Resignation set her mouth, there was a tear at her sleeve, a twig and a couple leaves had made their home in her blonde hair. Blue eyes held a sort of calm indifference.

And Bella was staring. Shit.

"Does an in between answer still lead to murder?"

 _Good fucking job, Swan._

She took such a long sip as those eyes studied her that she felt a brain freeze coming on, but hell if she cared.

"Not sure. How in between?"

Bella jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I know it's that way."

"Great. You're one of those people with an actual sense of direction." She sighed and brushed a leaf from her pocket. "I'm not being sarcastic."

"Didn't think you were. How long have you been here?"

"God, I don't know."

Nodding and sipping her coffee to keep from laughing, because this was _funny_ , Bella looked at the thin part of the "wall" she'd emerged from. "Why haven't you asked an attendant for help?"

"Pride's my flaw and I thought I'd find Emmett and kill him first. Can we walk and talk?'

Bella jerked her head, turned and led the way. Poor Emmett, whoever that was. They hit the corner and Bella glanced at her companion. "How'd you know I was there?"

"Because I heard you say 'Damn I love caramel' and I, too, love caramel."

A sound left her before she could bite down on her tongue and she took a long sip of her caramel coffee, gaze dead ahead in case eyes were on her. You weren't supposed to just turn to strangers and offer them your coffee.

She'd made an ass of herself a few times and was bound to do it again, but at least she could say her Saturday had been excellent thanks to helping a beautiful woman out of a maze. She'd never see her again but Bella would probably never forget her.

Never forget that jawline God himself carved.

"I was going to try something new." Bella shook her coffee for emphasis as they took a left.

"Trying something new is how I got into this mess, so I'd say you made a good decision."

"I'm Bella," she blurted. Hell if she knew why.

"Rosalie."

"So on a scale of one to ten, how in trouble is your boyfriend?"

Bella almost threw herself through the fucking wall. She practically inhaled her depleting supply of coffee.

"My friend who is a boy is dead. This was his idea. He was reading a post on my phone and I turned around and he was gone. You'd think you couldn't lose a 220 pound bear, but no. I lost him like he was never there. Bastard."

Bella snorted before she could stop herself, but instead of being annoyed, Rosalie laughed alongside her.

"I love him though."

"I have a friend like that. Alice. She'll make me wanna die but I wouldn't give her up for anything." She felt an intense gaze and turned her head, raising an eyebrow at Rosalie.

"I also have an Alice in my life. She's a rambunctious disaster with a shopping problem."

"Cullen?"

A lazy smile came to Rosalie's face as she brushed some hair from her eyes and discovered a leaf. "What an unbelievably small world."

"Do you," Bella's eyes darted away and back again, "Let me just."

Blue eyes tracked her hand and rolled when she freed a twig from blonde hair. "How embarrassing. Your first impression of me is a wild woman coming out of a bush with no manners."

"First? Besides, you look great." Again, coffee.

"I—"

"Did you know Sophocles was the one to introduce having a third actor going on in plays? Changed the game."

It would be too much to ask for just to vanish.

"What? You're telling me they just had two people up there doing a play? Switching costumes?"

Brown eyes didn't focus on blue ones for more than a second at a time. "Pretty much."

"That's crazy."

Bella hummed and yet another brain freeze threatened her. A right turn brought them closer to the end of Bella's personal hell.

"Is it good? I've never seen that cup."

Like an idiot, Bella looked at the cup in her hands. "Yeah! Yep. It's good. Believe it or not, it's half a block up from the exit. Cheaper than Starbucks, too. Wanna go?"

God, this was why she didn't have a girlfriend.

"Sure."

"Sorry, I'm a gay fool and you're—Wait, what?"

"I'm what?"

"That's what I'm asking." Her fingers dented her cup.

Rosalie hummed, a smirk pulling at her lips as she cocked an eyebrow. "Emmett has my wallet so I'm agreeing to you buying me coffee."

"It's a date." Bella let an awkward laugh fill the air even as she cursed her very existence.

"Indeed."

A squeaky bastardization of the word "what" tried to leave Bella's lips, but she was too busy whipping her head to the side to meet playful blue eyes. She walked into the corner of a bush-wall instead of making a smooth turn and bounced off it and into Rosalie.

"Don't fall for me yet, I want to get out this hellhole." She steadied her with a wink.

Bella wanted to die. She could _feel_ the heat in her cheeks. "You're a sadist. God, what am I, ten?"

"I am a sadist and you are a ten to me."

"Fuck off," Bella muttered into her coffee.

"That doesn't sound fun."

"I'm going to leave you in this maze."

A pout stronger than any the adorable Alice Cullen had ever summoned was directed at her and her heart skipped. Or stuttered. Whatever it did, it hurt.

Rosalie's lips looked so _soft_. Hell, all of her did. Her hair? Unreal.

"I guess not." Bella wasn't sure she was awake anymore. "Are you joking?"

"No. You're cute and judging from your Sophocles fact, I'm assuming you're the nerd friend Alice mentions, no? You're into photography, right? I've been thinking about meeting you."

"Well, this is unfair. I'm guessing you're the beautiful one Alice always complains never wants to shop. But that's Lillian?"

"My middle name. A privilege to her and a compromise. I got tired of the rose puns years ago. You have me at a disadvantage now." Seeing Bella stare at her, she drifted close enough to elbow her. She stayed that close, too. "Names. I'm Rosalie Lillian Hale."

"Honestly, what about you isn't beautiful? Fuck." Bella consumed the last of her coffee.

"A nice compliment, but there are a number of things."

"I'm moving. We're about to hit the end of this maze, then I'm throwing my stuff in my car and giving Jeff a map and I'm never ever coming back or talking to Alice again. Alice who? Rosalie who?"

But Rosalie just laughed. "Who's Jeff?"

"My whole world. Look." Bella was navigating to her folder dedicated to him. She tilted her phone to show Rosalie, but it was unnecessary because she'd used it as an excuse to be at Bella's shoulder. It brought dysfunction to their pace as they practically walked against each other and had to adjust their strides and Rosalie was _warm_.

"I fucking love dogs. Jeff is beautiful and I love him. Extend our date so I can meet him? Maybe we can catch a movie if you're not busy?"

Trying to focus her thoughts, Bella stared down at the picture of her furry, four-legged buddy with a black spot around his left eye.

"Is this the part where you tell me you have a girlfriend?"

Bella found herself stopping as Rosalie did. She could feel her breathing. How'd she dive so deep into books she forgot how to interact with women? "Nope."

Rosalie's smile returned. "Oh, good. Reducing the girl to tears wouldn't have been a good start to this."

"I don't know what to do with you right now."

"Start friendship and have a few dates? Go from there?"

She couldn't leave blue depths. "Tell me you don't do this either."

And Rosalie's expression sombered. She studied Bella with something like longing in her eyes. "I don't. Tell me you feel this stereotypical click, this nonsense that you know me and I know you."

"That's gay, Rosalie."

"Well, you're a gay fool, so it's perfect, no?"

* * *

Later, after Bella had begun to relax at the coffee shop but become the butt of a joke for being jittery from her second coffee, a guy ran up to their outside table, wheezing.

"Jesus, Rosie! I thought, I thought you were dead or something!"

"Well, you did leave me for dead."

"That's a little dramatic," Bella said into her shaking coffee cup.

"Why didn't you call me or something? I've been looking for you for over an hour!"

"How was I going to call you when you had my phone?"

Emmett dragged a large hand across his face and looked down at Bella. "Do you happen to own a cellular device of some sort? By any stupid, crazy chance?"

Bella took a long sip of her coffee, eventually glancing at Rosalie.

She actually looked sheepish. But then she cleared her throat. "What's your excuse for ditching me?"

Now Emmett looked away. "I saw a butterfly."


	7. Deserve

**A/N:** Ayyyy, another three am update! I'm tipsy and tired so, "no editing, we die like men"

I'm 2k deep in the next update for Black Star, so, be getting ready for that to happen... *looks at calendar* dude, damn, Idk, let's hope for a week, so, around August 1st.

Anyway, shout out to thispalekid for dropping into my inbox to tell me to listen to Deserve by Xtina. I've been trying to drag myself out of a slump and got wildly inspired because of them and just threw this together. I highly recommend listening to it at least once if you haven't already, and probably before reading this, I guess.

* * *

His joy makes her want to scream. And she is, in some way. Internally, she screams and screams and screams.

But the charade just continues in the living room.

Somehow, only the mind reader is oblivious to the lie.

Perhaps he's part of the lie.

Rosalie shrugs Jasper's hand off her shoulder and stands, tossing down her magazine. It stops Edward short in the middle of his joke. But the real effect, the one she desires in a masochistic way, she can't look at. She can't look over and see the regret and pain pinching Bella's eyebrows. She can't stand the way Bella simply _sees_ her. As she takes in a breath to dig her grave, she passes over Alice's frown and settles on Esme's sadness. "I can't believe we're pretending like that book is a good gift. You couldn't put any effort in?"

Edward's opening his mouth but Rosalie is already deaf to him because she makes a mistake while turning. She catches a glimpse of Bella.

For the first time in _too long_ —in eternities and lifetimes and too many heartbeats—there's some off, half-grin there as she remains on the couch next to Edward. Bella's reclined, relaxed, a stark contrast to Edward's almost aggressive posture and tense legs ready to send him across the room for a fight.

Had she gotten Edward the shitty gift of a book she knew he'd read time and again just to get Rosalie to call her out?

Just last week Bella would've stood up and engaged her in a shouting match.

It doesn't matter. She's up the stairs and gone out her window in a split-second decision to be anywhere else.

* * *

Rosalie thinks of Bella Swan the most during the night. Maybe it's some romanticization or association of her nature and the night or maybe it's simply that Rosalie gets to be open at night more often than the day. Maybe it's that Rosalie knows her better when the sun goes down.

Bella's depression comes out more in the dark, as if she perhaps feels safer, as if she can be herself and finally shoulder her own burdens. And so it doesn't occur to Rosalie that she could be sleeping.

No, no, she bounces a couple of pebbles off the dark window and actually runs to the front door. She's craving and aching and desperate and her capacity to care has been dwindling. Shriveling up and dying.

Edward's smile when he talks of marriage flashes in her mind and she can feel her heart racing. Of course, she knows it's still and frozen, but it _feels_ alive.

 _She_ feels alive.

The lock slides out of place and the door creaks open. Bella's fully dressed and it's almost three in the morning on a Tuesday, but her clothes are rumpled like she maybe fell asleep. Her eyebrow twitches up. And that's it. That's the entirety of her surprise over Rosalie appearing at her house instead of…

Rosalie can't breathe. She doesn't remember how and she isn't sure she's ever breathed air before.

She needs and craves and wants.

And Bella does what makes Rosalie weak, just as she always does. She sees and she understands. She takes Rosalie's wrist and pulls her into the house, up the stairs and into her room.

The salt lamp Rosalie bought her is the only light in the room and Rosalie sits at the desk to stare at it. "Are you still licking it?"

"Yes." Bella sits on the edge of the bed, facing her and expecting nothing. Simply letting Rosalie be.

"Disgusting. You know, Edward hates it so much that he actually said he can't wait for you to turn so that you'll stop."

A laugh that encompasses one, small breath. "Joke's on him, I'd still do it."

Amber eyes continue to study it, if for no better reason than fear over how she'll look at Bella. Her hands are folded in her lap, too, another attempt at restraining herself.

Bella's actually worn a dip in one spot from her persistent licking. It's atrocious, but it warms her heart just a touch. The lamp is the first and only gift she's given Bella. More so a dare to lick it—which she only partially regrets—than something out of affection.

There are, however, more items sitting in her closet waiting to be gifted. Locked in a box that she's only just opened for the first time in months.

Bella continues, "I can't really believe he said anything about me being a vampire."

Whispers, whispers, whispers. How many of their conversations have only been whispers?

"Yes, he's more interested in discussing your wedding." It's like acid in her mouth and her heart is ready to break, to utterly shatter into so many small pieces she'll never have a hope of repairing it. But she swallows and finally turns in the chair to look at Bella. And she sees what she needs to in order to make her final decision. She sees the way Bella's eye twitches. She _sees_ Bella. "I think it's a mistake."

Bella's eyes are anywhere else and her leg is bouncing like she might run. She swallows. Swallows again. Then she scoffs, runs a hand through her hair. "You know he hasn't even asked me? He's mentioned it twice and said something about this summer, after I graduate."

Neither of them have to point out that he's trying to hold onto her after having already dropped her.

But Rosalie hasn't found an answer to a particular question in days and weeks and she's nothing if not blunt. "Why are you holding onto him?"

Bella's on her feet and, for the second time, dismisses Rosalie Hale.

* * *

Rosalie gives her a week. A week of avoiding her except for an argument over which armor set was better in a game as she passed through the living room. It got to the point Emmett had to list the perks and flaws of both and their situational uses without saying they were arguing just to argue.

She can't accept that anymore. She can't live with fighting just to fight. To interact. Not anymore.

She doesn't blink at Charlie's surprise when she's at their door on a Saturday afternoon. She does, however, just stand in the kitchen as she waits for Bella to come downstairs.

"Rosalie?"

She looks up from the tile to study brown eyes for a few heartbeats. "I got movie tickets."

A sigh. Something unpleasant pulls at Bella's mouth to make her grimace and she drags a hand through her hair. "Can you stop?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

"Stop _this_. Stop trying to," Bella stops, her hand gesturing uselessly in the air. "I don't know."

Gold eyes slide toward the living room and back as Bella's voice rises.

"This. Whatever it is. This pity party!"

"I do not feel an ounce of pity for you."

"Of course you don't!"

Charlie rises from his recliner amd makes it to the kitchen as Bella takes to pacing to and from the table with a tight fist.

Rosalie can almost feel him telling her to get out.

"You okay, Bells? What's going on?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

No, she's not and he's almost lost her to the Cullens before.

Bella shoots her hand into the air and drops it, but she stops pacing to lean against the table. An instant later and she's off it and going to the front door, leaving it open behind herself.

Rosalie follows.

Bella stops around the side of the house with crossed arms but she doesn't turn around.

"I don't pity you," Rosalie says. "And I believe you know that."

"You have to."

"I don't."

"Well it can't be anything else!"

She moves closer to the erratic heart that makes her feel alive. When she stops, it's only barely, only just. It's inappropriate for who they supposedly are, but apparently Rosalie _hasn't_ stopped because her arms go around Bella to pull her back against herself. In this, Bella's only stiffened for a moment, for one, two, three rapid heartbeats. So, it takes a small, mental battle, but Rosalie rests her cheek against Bella's hair.

And they stay like that until Bella remembers that she is human and has to breathe in order for her lungs to function and she chokes. But Rosalie still doesn't let go.

She can't.

But Alice does it all the time, so maybe it's not so inappropriate. But Rosalie is not Alice and she isn't letting go.

Before, she might've been able to. Before too many in-depth conversations over small things. Before Bella learned how to make her smile. Before she found pleasure in making Bella laugh until her face turned red. Before entire afternoons in the garage and before they clicked.

In the mess with James, Rosalie had dug deep into her own pain and fear and sided with Edward that Bella deserved a life without vampires.

Rosalie barely survived those months.

While they'd never spoken about it, her family put together during that time that her mate had been her brother's girlfriend.

"I don't want you guys to leave me again."

"We can't." No hesitation, no need to think. Automatic. Honest and like breathing. She swallows. " _I_ can't."

It's a minute before Bella asks, "What movie?"

* * *

They don't have to argue anymore.

Days are blurring into weeks instead of feeling like years and she should feel guilty but she _doesn't_.

They're talking about everyone else's plans for prom and putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

A breeze rustles the leaves of a nearby tree and the sun is threatening to press through the clouds. Still, the conversation flows freely, no more crumbling walls or pain or clenched jaws. The picnic table they're at is out of place, about half an hour's walk from the Cullen house, and it has seen better days. Or maybe all the better days have left their marks on it, just like the various things scrawled onto it.

All too easy for what too many would think is just a quiet girl from the city, Bella pulls the knife from her pocket and flicks it open in the same instance. Oblivious to golden eyes, she scoots closer so that their arms and legs are touching and she brushes some of the puzzle pieces out of her way. Her eyebrows draw together in a way Rosalie's become familiar with—but this time she doesn't conceal her smile—and she goes to work. She could do it better. She could, but she's relaxed. Carefree. The tip stabs into the wood and then it's dragged and honestly Rosalie is just impressed that Bella managed such a swooping "R" on the wood.

Some of Bella's hair falls forward as she leans closer to her current project. Unthinking, Rosalie reaches up to tuck brown hair out of the way.

"Thanks," Bella mumbles, and continues, "—so I really don't see the point. You already don't like being around most of those people but you're excited to go to a cramped area with them? I don't get it."

"I never did either." It's true. She's never seen the appeal. Never understood how Alice could get so excited about such things or even repeating them. Jasper's quiet excitement over them is something she always attributed to Alice rubbing off on him, but maybe that was an unfounded jump in logic.

But now…

The fact Bella's putting her knife in her pocket and leaning away snaps Rosalie back to the present. Bella's expression makes her frown. Brown eyes flick down and back and away as Bella fiddles with puzzle pieces again.

Rosalie's breath catches when she looks at the table. Slowly, unblinking, she traces her fingers over the new grooves in the wood.

 _RH+BS_

Inside an uneven heart.

They don't argue anymore. They don't argue anymore and Rosalie lets her forehead rest against Bella's temple. "Will you go to prom with me?"

Bella Swan giggles for the first time in her life.


	8. Wounded Hearts

**A/N:** Just a thought I had some night in July. So the premise of this is, "What if Carlisle missed Rosalie by a few nights?"

A story of beginnings, of coming together.

* * *

She's blood and teeth, a thing born in violence.

A monster.

She's fine with it. She's had far too long to get used to it.

To enjoy it.

The wind howls down the street and she hunches her shoulders and pulls her jacket tighter, but it isn't because she feels the cold of the night. Not anymore. No, no, it's the ghosts calling to her. They whisper for her to join them like she should've lifetimes ago.

Some of them curse her, but she's lost the capacity to care.

Still, she stomps instead of walks so that she has the sound of her boots against the sidewalk to try muffling the past that can't let go of her. Or maybe she's trying to cover up the sound of all these people, peaceful and resting in their beds. Safe.

Safe, safe, safe.

Safe with a murderer just outside. That's the way of the world, she guesses. Safety only goes so far.

A scream causes a stall in her stride.

"Someone help! _Help_ me!"

She can taste the pleas of her father. Her brother. Her old friend. The village priest. And, for a second, a moment, she's in a burning house built on misery.

It occurs to her that she's never tried to be anything else.

"Stop!"

Laughter.

"Royce!"

Her hat flies off from how fast she runs and she feels alive, alive, alive. Something old and cold and...anxious, in her chest, removes the care she has for pretending to be human in this city. There's nothing in that small apartment that she cares for. She hasn't had anything to leave behind since she woke up burning, so it doesn't matter that she's just a blur down the street and the next. An inhuman feat of jumping across a river since the bridge is just too far.

The woman screams again, incoherent this time. But she _knows_ that sound. She knows pain and fear and blood. It's what sustains a monster.

She arrives on the same street without thought.

Five men, one woman. There's already blood. Her coat is in the street. Bottles of whiskey and beer are forgotten. She's crawling backward down the street and they're letting her and hatred has found her.

Hatred always finds them.

"I hope you fucking die, Royce!"

They're all laughing, but one starts closing the distance fast, undoing his belt before bringing his foot to kick.

She is faster. She is always faster.

A monster yanks his leg out of place just as they did the woman's arm.

He hits the ground, screaming and trying to reposition his useless leg, and there is no more laughter. One pisses his pants. She runs her tongue across sharp teeth and hunger claws at her throat, but not these. She does not want the taste of these humans.

Head tilting, she shoulders out of her jacket and lets it fall, watching as they twitch when it finally touches cement.

She swallows venom, knowing that had she been younger, she would've torn all their throats out. Even the woman's. But now she is too strong, too calculated, too experienced to give way to fleeting cravings as these child monsters. Her breathing stops.

"I-I can't do this, Royce! I'm out!" He runs.

She lets him. She will find him later.

The lesson will be learned. Monsters must commit.

Something desperate and angry pulls at Royce's mouth and he throws his bottle at her.

A teacher, she catches it. Drops it. Her boots are quiet as she walks to the one dragging his leg behind himself, trying to get away from her with pleas and promises she's heard in a dozen languages and a dozen still. Kneeling, she catches his arm, but not too harshly, and looks at Royce.

He stares back.

She slams the man's head against the concrete just once, and he is no more.

Led by Royce, they scatter in the night.

She cleans the blood from her hand on his shirt before standing. Her feet are stuck, though, frozen in place because turning around should be simple, but it's not. The woman hasn't said anything the whole time, and now she doesn't feel any better than those men. She has destroyed, just as they intended. And maybe she has saved this woman from them, but what if it was only for today? What if the woman was horribly traumatized, unable to function in life anymore?

She _did_ just crush a man's head.

At last, a statue come to life, she turns.

Blue. Blue eyes the color of a forgiving sky.

She vanishes, running, running, running. She's committing, as she crashes through doorways and cars and later trees and rocks. She's committing because even when she tries to do good, she is a monster and you simply cannot ask the sun not to rise.

* * *

A lifetime of control is her reward for the mistakes of a spineless girl. She never got the chance to grow, to hammer the metal in her back. But now it is steel. It is such steel and she is so firm, so controlled and certain, that she is actually known for it.

 _The Cullens don't feed on humans_ , they laugh.

 _Don't trust yourself around that one_ , they warn.

 _Forget lies, he'll read your thoughts_ , they mutter.

 _She's off, but she knows what the future holds_ , they whisper.

 _Rosalie Hale is ice that burns_ , they agree. _If she hasn't even tasted human blood, imagine if she truly loses her temper_ , they fear.

Her reputation precedes her and she's fine with it because it saves her time and effort. Some only take one glance at her.

So, to hear Jasper and Esme coming into the house with footsteps she doesn't know has her eyes rolling. You wouldn't think vampires were sociable creatures, but apparently they were. Whether the amount of guests they've had over the years or the hunting games she's heard of with "feasts" afterward boggle her more, she doesn't know.

Jasper's voice drifts up with the exact amount of curiosity she would expect from Esme, and it makes her frown.

"You said you've been looking for us for...some time?"

"Off and on throughout the years, but yes. I—"

The doorknob to her closet comes off in her hand and she's staring at her door like it will open any second. Like the answers to life itself are just beyond it.

In some ways, they could be there.

But no. No, no, no.

Life does not give you the answers your soul feels at all hours of the day.

It just doesn't.

And so it just. _Can't. Be._

That voice is so different. Personable, honest, light. But some things are the same. It's low. Serious. Thoughtful.

And Rosalie's heart beats and rages in Rochester once more.

She's gone, just like that. A disaster. A whirlwind leaving her door hanging by the hinges and shoving Edward through a wall and breaking part of the upstairs railing off as she crashes down into the living room.

Her family stares at her aghast, frozen, except for Jasper as he stumbles back and catches a table for support because of Rosalie's emotions.

The visitor is perched on the back of the couch, body half-turned toward the sliding door to bolt at any moment. Her eyes have no care for anything other than Rosalie, but there is no shock or suspicion there.

Pain? Fear? Relief?

Alice jumps, a warning falling from her lips.

But the snarl is already twisting Rosalie's face and she slips past her sister.

The glass breaks from the ghost of Rosalie Hale's past.

This time, however, she can follow.

Still, ghosts haunt as they please. It's only a matter of time before Rosalie screams alone in the forest. Alice finds her sitting in the rain among the remains of a tree she shattered, and Alice doesn't speak of the scratches or fist-sized holes in it.

* * *

Cowardice is the curse that gave her this life. And so she tries to fight it this time. It's taken her over a year to come to this point, but she is here.

"My name is Bella," she practices to the air.

She sighs, needlessly bracing a hand against the tree as she moves to sit instead of crouch on the branch. Her feet dangle so high from the ground it would've made her cry when she was human. Maybe. At this point she only really remembers fear, so she must've been afraid of this.

It smells like...her, here. So Bella will wait for her this time. She couldn't keep hiding and running from this, from her. Not when she had gone back to that house months later to find it empty.

Of all the things one can experience over the centuries, that crushed her the most, perhaps. In unique and particular ways that make her insides itch. So this made sense. She couldn't run or hide if she didn't move. She could face her greatest error.

It only takes a night and a day of waiting for Bella's head to snap up at the sound of running. All of her muscles twitch, but she keeps herself here.

The running changes direction and she pushes off the branch, falling, falling, falling.

Fate or time or some god she has offended finally gets to drive the knife into her chest. The predator that's haunted her mind for days, for weeks, for years, for millennia, halts twenty feet away. The Angel.

Her eyes are no longer a gentle blue, but an unforgiving black.

Another thing she's ruined in this world.

"I hated you for the first twenty years or so."

She deserves more.

A tightness comes to the Angel's jaw, an ugly twist to her lips, and she _knows_ it has to do with her. Everything awful has to do with her. She's only done one good thing in her life and, even then, she was cursed for it. She takes and takes and takes and never gives and it's caught up to her at last.

She could move, but she doesn't. Her back breaks into the tree behind her under the force of the Angel and those black pits are accusing, searching. Some instinct she didn't know she had has Bella's fingers twitching to move the blonde hair from her face.

"Why?"

Bella grins, tongue running across her teeth even as she feels that arm press harder against her shoulders. "For which thing?" Her eyes blaze and Bella's never seen anything so beautiful. Even with the sheer _conflict_ staring back at her, nothing has ever been so beautiful.

" _Every_ thing."

"Well, we must pick one thing and start there, no?"

 _We_. It tastes so good on her tongue she almost repeats it. But even if there never is a "we," she at least knows she tried for once.

Conflict. There is so much conflict to this Angel. Truly the nickname is fitting. To fall, to struggle, to be so capable of destruction.

"The introduction is a year too late, but I'm Bella."

She scoffs. She actually, genuinely scoffs at her, complete with rolling eyes and a little shake of her head. "Ninety years too late." She drops her arm and Bella is allowed to stand on her own two feet as black eyes move over her. "Rosalie."

"Wonderful." Her fingers stall in adjusting her jacket as Rosalie's jaw tightens again. She's prone to mistakes but that was just too easy, too hopeless. "Sorry?"

"I don't want your apologies."

Perhaps they both run and hide from things.

A hiss escapes Rosalie and her hand is fisting Bella's shirt, driving her back into the tree again. "Excuse me?"

Mouth moving, Bella runs through her thoughts before waving her hands in front of herself a bit. "I don't know? Did I say something out loud?"

Those black pits narrow to slits. "You called me a liar."

"Oh." Bella lets her hands drop before tilting her head, humming. "That sounds accurate."

Rosalie takes to growling and Bella knows for certain that this woman lives in her emotions. Everyone can talk about her composure and her control but Bella sees her right now, as she is. Passion fuels her, as it must for her to be so bold with a stranger when she knows the possibilities of vampires.

When Bella's back digs deeper into the tree, she sighs. "What did I say now?"

So volatile, this one.

But Rosalie's lips only press into a thin line.

Bella shrugs, hands in the air. "I've spent most of my time alone. I'm not sure how many of my thoughts make it my mouth."

"Too many, if you ask me."

"Good thing I'm not asking you, then, isn't it?" She sees something twitch in Rosalie. A gentler look in her eyes, a freer shape to her lips. "Would you like to continue your hunt? And then we could have a proper interrogation?"

There it is. A smirk. It's only there for a second, but that's all it takes.

Rosalie still doesn't let go.

"That friend of yours—Jasper I think is his name—won't he chastise you for this? I saw him before. If he cares about you I'm certain he would've lectured you on being cautious with strange vampires."

"He's also helped me learn to defend myself."

Her tongue runs across her teeth. "Are you saying you think you can take me?"

That almost feral aspect Rosalie had barely keep within her skin finally leaks out as her fangs show with a half-grin that looks far too thoughtful, far too hopeful. She leans in, blonde hair tickling Bella's face. "Are you inviting me?"

"Your pixie friend says no."

The confusion is momentary. She processes the footsteps and all at once she becomes the walking embodiment of irritation, dropping Bella and stepping back. Her arms cross and she more so sighs than asks, "What, Alice?"

"My visions became too frequent but indistinct."

Bella goes around Rosalie, noting the way black eyes cut to her as if to ask how she could dare move on from her, and bows at the small vampire that's already stopped walking. "I've heard much about you over the years, Alice. It's nice to properly meet you."

She doesn't say anything. She only watches.

It makes Bella frown, even if that gaze does have golden eyes that are in no way hostile. They're watching too deeply. She understands, of course, but that doesn't mean she likes it. "I won't drop my shield for you."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"No, no, no. You'd merely want me to."

Some of Alice's hair falls across her eyes as she tilts her head. "Not entirely."

"Only partially do you want it or you want me to only partially do it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Curiosity."

Rosalie sighs. "Is this going somewhere, Alice?"

She blinks at last, looking away from Bella. It's slow, a deliberate and honest thing, the way Alice smiles. "Only circles."

Bella looks over her shoulder with a grin that makes black eyes narrow. "If you're worried I won't be here when you finish, I could dance with the pixie?"

"I'm not that small."

"But you are magical, no?"

"Fine," Rosalie cuts off Alice's laugh, "Fine."

* * *

It's a conversation. Or, it would be a conversation if either of them would say something. Instead they're alone in a house made of more glass than wall and Bella's marveling at the amount of space the Cullens give each other.

Neither of them are sitting. They're just standing in opposite areas of the living room and Bella really doesn't know what to make of Rosalie looking at books on the table. She selects one and drifts to the arm of the couch to sit.

"I'm sorry."

Golden eyes look up from the page, and her brow furrows.

She's calm, composed, maybe because she's fed and doesn't think Bella will bolt anymore. Or maybe she's only pretending to be composed because Bella's stationary but her skin is crawling with the need to _go_ so it's possible.

Useless, her hands move in the air before dropping to her sides and she at lasts breathes her greatest crime. "I didn't make it any better."

That thoughtful gaze turns further away and then travels. The book shuts and Rosalie sets it beside her leg as she folds her hands in her lap. "You did."

"You're here!" Bella freezes mid-step, finger still pointing down. When did passion last rule her? Was it that night?

"I am." Rosalie's head tilts and her hair moves like a curtain over half her face. "And I don't regret it. I did, for a while. For the same amount of time I resented you."

Bella's weight is on her back foot when Rosalie's eyes pierce her, hold her there.

"I don't know how old you are, and you said you've spent so much of that time alone, but I know you have to know...it. I know you have to have noticed. That possibility. Because I did." Her fingers are drumming on her chest. "Carlisle made me a vampire but you _changed_ me, and I was human then. I had so many questions about you—some that I still do—and I wanted to get my life together. I didn't know what for, but I wanted to get myself together. I wanted to be me and I wanted to want."

Rosalie stares at her hands, clenching each other so tightly cracks begin to form over her knuckles, and Bella stares at her in return. "Is that why you ran? The first time?"

Honesty chokes Bella. She drops into a sit right there, gaze on the lush rug as she runs a hand through her hair. "I was just trying to do something good for once. Instead I was terrible. Like always. In front of my, in front of...All my possibilities fell away that night."

"The second time?" It's a gift that she ignores the way Bella can't say the word. Or maybe she can't either.

"Would you have stayed?"

"No."

Bella's lips twitch into a bitter smile.

"Carlisle found me off of a different street. It'd been a month or two and I didn't know Royce had taken to stalking me. I only knew his alcoholism had taken a new level and that only made people lash out at me more, accuse me of being a liar more harshly. I'd ruined a good man. Broken his heart and tried to take his reputation too."

Amber eyes are already waiting for her, and they mirror her disgust.

"My friend's husband insisted I carry a knife with me. You know only two people believed me? My friend and her husband. Not my parents, not anyone else. Even my little brother looked at me with suspicion." Rosalie's smile is unsteady as she just barely rocks side to side. Her hand bounces on her thigh, gaze decades away. "Royce was drunk and strong, but I was full of rage and and hope and I had a knife. The last real thing he did was try to take me with him, so desperate and so angry he pulled the knife out to use it against me. During it, he pulled me off the bridge with him. I was bleeding to death and drowning when Carlisle jumped in."

Apologies often feel empty, so Bella only holds her tongue between her teeth. She doesn't look up when she hears Rosalie approaching, and she still doesn't look up when the woman sits in front of her.

"You gave me the chance to be on my own terms, and I thank you for that. You gave me incredible nightmares for a bit, but still."

Her hand is pressed to her mouth when she finally looks up, elbow resting on her knee. It's not quite a smile she offers in return for Rosalie's. Really, something so beautiful shouldn't be directed at her. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I think you might be a bit of a nightmare on your own. Worse when combined with Alice."

"I like her," Bella agrees.

"Like I said. A nightmare."

* * *

They're still learning. Still adjusting. But it's nice most days. Other days Edward is too into their business or Bella has to spend hours away from the house and convince herself not to disappear.

Esme tells her it's only been seven months and one must be patient with themselves.

Bella hates the way she seems so tentative in her words and actions. She hasn't needed a mom in centuries and doesn't now, but damn that woman is good at it. So giving. And that's why Bella is equally patient with her and bites her tongue before she snaps. Esme is an excellent teacher of when to give and when to take, and Bella trusts her with it because she herself had to learn it and Bella doesn't want to leave Rosalie the same types of emotional scars Esme's left on Carlisle.

History taught her long ago to learn from it and she is trying.

High school almost makes her wish she was a lonely nomad again, though.

"I, uh, have some aspirin."

Hand in her hair, leaning so heavily on her elbow she's practically laying on the desk, Bella slowly turns to look at the boy she's fantasized about in unpleasant ways.

Mike Newton is leaning toward her desk, fingertips gripping the edge of his own as his eyes dart around like they're dealing drugs.

She wonders why he tries when his instincts so clearly tell him to leave her alone.

He clears his throat. "I have aspirin. If you want some." His fingers forget the desk long enough to gesture between their eyes, emphasizing her sunglasses in a building in a cloudy town. They brush against his backpack on the floor. "Rough night?"

"No."

It's a blissful minute or two before he tries again, this time actually reaching for his backpack. "There's no shame in being hungover, just take the aspirin." He sets the bottle on her desk and actually _waits_. Stares at her.

Bella picks it up just to set it back on his desk. "No thank you."

He puts it back and she starts gripping her hair. When the teacher gets struck by a thought he just has to share with the class and steps to the board, Bella grabs the bottle and tosses it at Mike.

It bounces in his hands before jumping off his desk to roll across the floor. He blushes under the teacher's stare.

"Headache, Mr. Newton?"

"No. No, sir. I meant to grab something else."

"Your pencil, I hope. I can't imagine how you're doing any work."

Thankfully, Mike leaves her alone, but she can feel her fangs aching. She's gone the moment the bell rings.

The hallways are a blur of people and noise until something small and cold catches Bella's arm and she winds up growling at Alice.

Alice, who is unaffected and merely pats Bella's arm while she tries to apologize. "You can't eat him."

"Why not?" She follows to the pixie's locker without question.

Shoving her books at Bella so she doesn't have to let go of her to start putting in her combo, Alice clicks her tongue. "Because no tasty humans in this life we live."

"Well it sucks."

Rosalie arrives just in time to scoff. "You suck."

The fact Alice won't let go of her keeps Bella from fully turning to give Rosalie a piece of her mind, so she just growls lightly in her chest. "You're just arguing my point. You called them tasty."

"I swear, between you and Jasper, I'm ready to start campaigning for cheat weeks."

There's something soft in Rosalie's hum that makes Bella look at her. "Who are you trying to eat now? No, wait, let me guess. Is it Mike again?"

"Yes! Who would miss him?"

"His parents, for starters," Alice mutters as she rummages in her locker and a small jar of glitter falls out that she barely catches.

"People go missing all the time."

Rosalie nods, but her eyes suggest she's a step away from laughing at Bella. "That is very true."

"Would you like to go missing too?"

"My word, this hostility!"

Bella's eyes narrow and Rosalie smirks.

"Alright!" Alice claps her hands before taking a hold of Bella again. "Who's ready to not eat anything?"

Even as she's dragged away and Rosalie keeps up with them, Bella sighs. "How depressing. I'm wasting away."

Bella's throwing all her weight on Alice and groaning and whining about hunger when Rosalie clears her throat in a way that makes Bella's spine straighten to look at her. Rosalie's head tilts ever so slightly and her voice is quiet. "We could, perhaps, go hunting tonight? Together?"

Excitement heats Bella's chest in a way she didn't think was possible anymore until she committed to knowing Rosalie Hale. She notices amber eyes focused on Bella and Alice's joined hands, though, and she's all too aware that they aren't...anything, yet, but she feels that possibility. She feels that future and she feels that hope that maybe they are ready for each other and she acts too rashly.

A squeak leaves Alice as she recovers her balance from Bella snatching away her hand.

Ignoring Alice's glare and Rosalie's smirk, Bella catches sight of Jasper already at their table and calls his name before trotting across the cafeteria.

All this time and she's still running.

But at least she's staying in one place. And this place is with her hand on the back of Jasper's chair while she leans against him to look at the new game trailer he's showing her on his phone. Emmett's leaning in on his other side, effectively squishing Jasper, but he just has a small curve to his lips.

The back of Jasper's chair almost comes off in her hand when she feels Rosalie's fingertips dance over her knuckles.


End file.
